HDFS

Agricultural producers and farm workers experience stressful working conditions that result in anxiety and depression at higher rates than the general population. At the same time, access to mental health care is often lacking in rural areas. In response, the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture funded four regional farm and ranch stress assistance networks in 2019.

Agriculture is a stressful occupation, and farmers struggle with anxiety and depression at higher levels than the general population. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign examines differences in mental health challenges for men and women farmers, focusing on the role of social support in mitigating stress.

Conflict in families can negatively affect individuals’ wellbeing and relationships. But what exactly do families today fight about, and is conflict in the home generally more severe between couples or between parents and children? A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign explores these topics, shedding light on important but often overlooked aspects of family dynamics.

In the bright, friendly classrooms at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Child Development Laboratory (CDL), you’ll see infants, toddlers, and preschoolers playing and taking part in activities designed to stimulate young minds. But children aren’t the only ones learning — students and faculty from across campus use the facility as a critical tool for teaching and research, fulfilling a mission that sets the CDL apart from lab schools nationwide.

Illinois residents who took part in a new couples’ relationship strengthening program reported many improvements in their connections with their spouses or partners and in their individual well-being too, research suggests. 

It was at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign that alumna Meagan Roloff discovered a calling that would lead to her dream career as Director of Member Services and Engagement with the National Association for Gifted Children. Roloff’s student research experience at the university’s Child Development Laboratory (CDL) changed not only the course of her academic path but also her life. 

You’ve probably heard that cultivating gratitude can boost your happiness. But in marriage and families, it’s not just about being more grateful for your loved ones — it’s also important to feel appreciated by them. Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have previously explored the positive impact of perceived gratitude from romantic partners for couples’ relationship quality.

Black Americans experience racial discrimination on a regular basis, and it is a cause of chronic and pervasive stress. It is known to contribute to elevated risk for poor mental health outcomes, but most research has focused on individuals. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign looks at the interpersonal effects of discrimination on parents and their adolescent children.

Managing a fussy infant or a determined toddler can be a daily test of patience and endurance for parents and caregivers. New research on the origins of emotional overeating in 3-year-olds suggests that how caregivers respond to infants’ and toddlers’ negative emotions such as disappointment, fear and anger influences the children’s development of emotional overeating.

LGBTQ+ people involved in farm work are over three times more likely to experience depression and suicidal intent and about two and a half times more likely to experience anxiety than the general population. That’s according to a new study led by farmer mental health experts at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.