Research Highlights

Our research highlights focus on behavioral and social sciences funded by the National Institutes of Health. These articles are for informational purposes only. They do not signify endorsement of specific studies or offer medical or treatment advice.

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Family members gathered around a table eating
Family Structure and Care Needs Among Older Adults with and Without Dementia
As the U.S. population ages, many older adults rely on family members for daily care, yet not all receive fully adequate care. Such gaps in care are especially pronounced among older adults living with dementia, who often require more intensive support. At the same time, family structures have become increasingly complex, with stepfamilies and diverse caregiving arrangements more common now than in previous generations.
person with diabetes checking app on mobile phone
How Do Adults with Diabetes Use Technology to Manage and Support Their Health?

Many of us struggle to consistently engage in healthy habits that optimize our health. For people with a chronic illness like diabetes, the challenge is even greater. As digital health tools become increasingly integrated into chronic disease management, it is critical to understand how patients use and benefit from these technologies.

hands point at MRI (Xray) brain scan
Brain Mapping Techniques Show Alterations in Brains of Children Who Have Been Maltreated
Child maltreatment can have devasting long-term consequences—can these effects be detected in the brains of children who have been maltreated?
HIV red ribbon and stethoscope
Understanding the Effects of Violence Among People with HIV and How to Improve the Delivery of Care
Violence is a major public health issue with profound effects on lifelong health, opportunity, and overall well-being. People of all backgrounds can encounter many different types of violence, including adverse childhood experiences, intimate partner violence (IPV), and community-based violence.
Woman carrying grocery basket in front of cold beverage shelves.
Using Pictorial Health Warnings to Reduce the Purchasing of Sugary Drinks for Children
Sugary drinks, also known as sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), can be a major source of added sugars in everyday diets. These drinks include soda, fruit drinks, sports drinks, and energy drinks. Researchers are interested in ways to reduce SSB consumption. A study supported by the National Institutes of Health tested whether pictorial warning labels—pictures depicting potential health problems—could reduce parents’ purchases of SSBs compared with regular labels. They found that pictorial warnings were effective in encouraging parents to make healthier purchasing choices for their children.
Girl looking at phone
Neural Sensitivity Influences Social Well-Being in Youth During COVID-19

Researchers have found that the strength of young people’s brain responses to social rewards influenced their feelings of social satisfaction and loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic, a period with limited in-person interactions. Adolescents aged 10 to 17 whose brains are highly sensitive to social rewards felt lonelier when they had fewer in-person and virtual interactions than those whose brains are less sensitive to social rewards.

elderly wife consoling husband
A New Model for Studying Social Isolation and Health in People with Serious Mental Illnesses

Researchers have developed a promising new framework for studying the link between social disconnection and poor physical health in people living with serious mental illnesses (SMI). Drawing on published research from animal models and data from the general population, this framework builds on existing social isolation and loneliness models by integrating insights from evolutionary and cognitive theories. This research was supported by the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research and the National Institute of Mental Health.

March 2024 Research Spotlight
Linkages between long-term nursing home stay, chronic pain, and social isolation
Long-term nursing home residents with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) who experienced “contextual isolation” were more likely to have pain relative to those who did not experience any contextual isolation.
Deep Neural Network
Research Spotlights: February 2024

Deep Neural Network algorithm successfully predicts incident cardiovascular disease in non-Hispanic Black adults, indicating significance of social determinants of health

Black-White residential segregation and cardiovascular mortality rates

sound waves
Research Spotlights: January 2024

The roles of aging and reward sensitivity on auditory and reward networks

ABCD joins the band: the shared musical environment during childhood, language, and executive function

How infant-directed song captures attention