Human Development and Family Sciences

Becoming an Adult during a Public Health Crisis: COVID-19’s Impact on Emerging Adults

Presentations:
“The Impact of COVID-19 on Young Adults: Coping with Anxiety During the Early Months of the Pandemic”
Presenter: Beth Russell, PhD (Co-PI, HDFS)
Additional Team Members: Crystal Park (Co-PI, Psychological Sciences), Michael Fendrich (Co-PI, Social Work), Morica Hutchison (Grad Student, HDFS), Jessica Becker Rica (Research Assistant, Social Work)

“The LGBTQ+ COVID-related RElationships and Well-being (CREW) Study”
Presenter: Eva Lefkowitz (PI, HDFS)
Additional Team Members: Additional Team Members: Samantha Lawrence (Grad Student, HDFS), Yuan Zhang (Grad Student, HDFS), Alyssa Clark (Grad Student, HDFS), Tracy L. Walters (Grad Student, HDFS), Rachael Farina (Grad Student, HDFS), Veronica Hanna-Walker (Grad Student, HDFS)

“Evaluating UConn Student Well-Being in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic: Preliminary Findings”
Presenter: Saraswathi Bellur (Co-PI, Communication)
Additional Team Members: Rebecca Acabchuk (Co-PI, InCHIP), Emily Hennessy (Co-PI, InCHIP), Leslie Snyder (Communication), Deborah Cornman (InCHIP), Linda Pescatello (Kinesiology), Crystal Park (Psychological Sciences), Blair Johnson (Psychological Sciences), Keith Bellizzi (HDFS), David Ouimette (Executive Director, Office of First Year Programs & Learning Communities), Mary-Jeanne Raleigh (Interim Co-Leader of Mental Health), Gregory Champion (Program Assistant, Honors Programming & Events Office), Madeleine Aseltine (Undergrad Student), Isha Walawalkar (Grad Student, Public Health Sciences), Kaleigh Ligus (Grad Student, HDFS), Emily Fritzson (Grad Student, HDFS)

“Disruptions in the Medical Management and Care of College Students with Pre-Existing Mental Health Conditions during the COVID-19 Pandemic”
Presenter: Kaleigh Ligus (Grad Student, HDFS)
Additional Team Members: Keith Bellizzi (PI, HDFS), Emily Fritzson (Grad Student, HDFS)

“Healthy and Safe: Building a Culture of Positive Behavior During an Pandemic”
Presenters: Eleanor Daugherty (Associate Vice President for Student Affairs, Dean of Students), Joseph Briody (Interim Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs & Director of Student Activities), Jenn Longa (Assistant Dean of Students for Victim Support Services & Bystander Initiatives), Hans Rhynhart (Associate Vice President of Public Safety, Chief of Police)

Thursday, October 8, 2020
12:30-2:00 p.m.
Virtual Event

Registration Link:
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIud-ChrjkqH9UA_F-QFACck4P_6ircn-ko

Please join us for a lunchtime seminar with Maria LaRusso and César Abadía-Barrero entitled: “New Childhood Epidemics and Children Rights to a Healthy Development."


In recent decades, there has been a growing explosion of what has been called the “new childhood epidemics,” including the 4-A Disorders (Asthma, Allergies, Autism, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder/ADHD), as well as childhood eczema, celiac disease, gastrointestinal disorders, and migraines, among others. While school teachers and administrators are overwhelmed by the children’s severe emotional and medical problems, integrative or functional medicine practitioners argue that children’s bodies are being bombarded by a storm of environmental toxins, stressors, and infectious agents that dysregulate the children’s immune, neuroendocrine and gastrointestinal systems. Thanks to a seed grant from the Center for the Study of Culture, Health and Human Development (CHHD), we investigated families’ experiences of one of these chronic childhood illnesses called PANS (Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome). PANS is estimated to affect 1 in 200 children, usually in pre-pubertal ages, and causes a rapid and alarming cascade of symptoms which can include Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, tic disorder, restrictive eating, anxiety, emotional lability and/or depression, behavioral (developmental) regression, ADHD, and somatic signs and symptoms, including sensory or motor abnormalities, sleep disturbances, enuresis or urinary frequency. While we will present on the first analysis of our data, we also want to share our preliminary ideas about a larger research program that aims to investigate the relationships between growing toxicity and stressors, children’s dysregulated bodies, and children’s rights. Our long term goal is to propose integrated and inter-sectorial interventions that can redress some of these deleterious impacts as well as promote children’s rights to develop to their full potential.

Maria LaRusso is an Assistant Professor in Human Development and Family Studies. She studies social and emotional development and well-being of children and adolescents, changes in children’s emotional and behavioral dysregulation, and the effectiveness of interventions.

César Abadía-Barrero is an Associate Professor in Anthropology and Human Rights. His research centers on the relationship among capitalism, health, and decolonial approaches to rights.

Fall semester all meetings will be virtual. More information coming soon.

Fall semester all meetings will be virtual. More information coming soon.

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