Psychologists are known for using science to influence public policymaking on criminal justice, education, health, and other specific policies. Little is known, however, about what commonalities exist across youth and family policies and, in particular, how prevalent polarization and research utilization are in political decisions. In response, this article examines how youth and family policies are positioned on the decision-making agenda and who advances them from an overlooked point of view, that of state legislators. Semistructured qualitative interviews inquired about research use, partisan polarization, and strategies for effectively advancing youth/family policies with 123 legislators; 24 legislators nominated by colleagues as exemplar champions of youth and family issues; and 13 key informants. Policymakers report youth and families are a population deserving of support. This widely shared value premise makes some policies to support youth and families less partisan. In addition, policymakers report that research can sometimes be more important for youth and family issues, particularly evidence on economic feasibility. Despite the importance of research, policymakers express concerns about its objectivity, conflicting results, and source credibility. Compared with colleagues, Youth and Family Champions are committed to a higher purpose; knowledgeable on policy issues and political maneuvers; and skilled in listening, earning colleagues' trust, and building relationships with colleagues and external stakeholders. For connecting research and policy, the article suggests that researchers could attract the attention of policymakers by illustrating their studies with a compelling story that places a human face on the issue and portrays the pragmatic significance of the findings. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/amp0000681DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

youth family
24
polarization utilization
8
family policies
8
family issues
8
policymakers report
8
report youth
8
youth families
8
youth
7
family
6
policies
5

Similar Publications

Purpose: While previous studies have investigated the adverse effects of hyper-competitiveness on individual development, research addressing its underlying causes from a family systems perspective remains relatively scarce. This study provides a comprehensive, longitudinal analysis of how the father hunger impacts adolescent hyper-competitiveness, thoroughly investigating the roles of basic psychological needs satisfaction and mother-child attachment within the broad context of family dynamics.

Methods: We employ Father Presence Theory, Attachment Theory and Basic Psychological Needs Theory as our theoretical frameworks.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This research explores patterns of views on substance use among Norwegian adolescent girls aged 16-19 years. By examining the participants' experiences, attitudes and needs, the study seeks to uncover how teenage girls experience the use of substances, how the use impacts their daily lives, and their relationships with peers, family and welfare professionals. To achieve this understanding, we utilised Q methodology to capture the perspectives of 42 Norwegian adolescent girls.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This study examines whether adolescent nicotine and cannabis vaping types (i.e., nicotine-only, cannabis-only, and dual use) differ across sociodemographic and school characteristics (e.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Dietary Factors Associated with Depressive Symptoms in Midlife Women 40-50 Years of Age Living in the United States.

Womens Health Rep (New Rochelle)

December 2024

Department of Family Health Care Nursing, School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA.

Purpose: Women in the decade before menopause are at risk for depression. This study describes dietary factors associated with depression risk in late premenopausal women that could be modifiable with targeted interventions.

Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study comparing a community-based sample of 342 healthy premenopausal women categorized as low-risk and high-risk for depression in a secondary analysis of dietary variables.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Evaluation of parent reminder-recall letters to promote human papillomavirus vaccination.

Prev Med Rep

January 2025

Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.

Objective: Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine uptake remains suboptimal. Our stepped-wedge cluster randomized trial found that reminder-recall letters sent to parents of age-eligible children significantly increased vaccine uptake compared to usual care. Subsequently, we conducted a process evaluation to assess the mechanisms of the letter's effectiveness.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!