Understanding how families, systems, and public policies impact the social, emotional, and cognitive development of adolescents and young adults is at the heart of much of CCFP’s work. Our researchers engage in longitudinal studies, partnerships with state and local agencies serving youth and their families, and develop and evaluate innovative programs and services to understand and support youth development.
This brief summarizes the findings from “My friends made me do it: Peer influences and different types of vaping in adolescence,” published in Addictive Behaviors (2024). The authors explore the role of peer influences on adolescent vaping behavior and discuss strategies for vaping prevention interventions.
This paper explores the extent to which medical cannabis users differ from recreational cannabis users and whether medical use is associated with ACEs, poor health, or disability.
Hostile attribution bias (HAB) and hostile rumination (HR) are cognitive vulnerabilities associated with multiple forms of psychological maladjustment among diverse youth. This study longitudinally examined whether HR mediates the relation of HAB to aggression, anxiety, and depression symptoms in a sample of adolescents from three countries.
This study advances the understanding of risk and protective factors in trajectories of conduct problems in adolescence in seven countries that differ widely on a number of sociodemographic factors as well as norms related to adolescent behavior.
This project will pilot a daily diary study of youth in Ukraine and Poland to develop a state-of-the art assessment tool for measuring within-person changes in coping and adjustment related to the war in Ukraine.
learn more about Daily Diary Study of Youth Adjustment in the Russia-Ukraine WarThis project will produce research and policy reports on four megatrends identified by the United Nations related to families and (1) climate change, (2) technology, (3) migration and urbanization, and (4) demographic trends.
learn more about Megatrends and the FamilyThis research project will collect data from youth enrolled in universities across Ukraine during the winter of 2023. Data will include changes in adjustment, wellbeing, and optimism, along with substance use. Data will provide insights into how best to support the mental health of young people during a global crisis.
learn more about Risk and Resilience in Ukraine: Individual, Family, and Community Predictors of Adolescent and Young Adult AdjustmentThis project expands reach, builds capacity, and scales up evidence-based programs offering positive youth development and sexuality education to address health disparities in the most vulnerable areas across rural Eastern North Carolina.
learn more about Advancing Equity in Adolescent Health through Evidence-Based Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs and ServicesThis report reviews and analyzes sources published from 2019 to 2024 to investigate the complex dynamics of the intersecting trends of urbanization, migration, and family. Six critical areas in need of policy recommendations have been identified: family-friendly policies, gender-responsive and child-sensitive legislation, affordable housing and inclusive infrastructure, comprehensive urban planning, sustainable urban growth through effective family planning,
and comprehensive healthcare services for immigrants.
This report describes six major demographic trends: declining fertility, changing partnering patterns, reductions in early childhood and maternal mortality, a burgeoning youth population, changes in child marriage rates, and a growing aging population.
This study suggests socially withdrawn children in the United States fare similarly to non-withdrawn peers in adulthood in their romantic relationships and parenting, but a subgroup of active-isolate children may be at risk of not entering adult relationships.
Our analyses showed that Fast Track’s improvements to interpersonal and intrapersonal skills in childhood served as catalysts for better life outcomes at age 31. Our findings inform understanding of how a childhood preventive intervention can improve adjustment and behaviors into established adulthood.