A Commentary on the Parenting of Adolescents in Diverse and Multicultural Contexts.

This commentary on the Special Issue on Parenting Adolescents in Multicultural Contexts discusses key concepts addressed by the authors in this special issue. The connecting themes of parenting styles, relationships, and the need for relevant research methods and measures are discussed. The commentary concludes with reflections on these themes for the field of developmental science and important questions for developmental scientists to ponder to advance the research in this important area of inquiry.

Elder mistreatment in underserved populations: Opportunities and challenges to developing a contemporary program of research.

This article provides an overview of the status of research on elder mistreatment among underserved populations in the United States, including gaps in our current knowledge base and scientific and structural barriers to growing research on the exploitation, neglect, and abuse of older people from diverse and disadvantaged ethnic/racial, geographic, sexual identity, and socioeconomic groups. High-priority areas in need of new elder mistreatment research with underserved populations are identified, and suggestions are given for how this research can be facilitated by researchers, university institutional review boards, and funding agencies.

A National Institutes of Health Approach for Advancing Research to Improve Youth Mental Health and Reduce Disparities.

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health challenges were the leading cause of disability and poor health outcomes in youth. Challenges are even greater for youth from racially and ethnically minoritized groups in the United States. Racially and ethnically minoritized youth are more vulnerable to mental health problems than White adolescents, yet are less likely to use mental health services. In late 2021, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) sponsored a virtual conference to examine the state of the science around youth mental health disparities (YMHD), focusing on youth from racially and ethnically minoritized populations and the intersection of race and ethnicity with other drivers of mental health disparities. Key findings and feedback gleaned from the conference have informed strategic planning processes related to YMHD, which has included the development of a strategic framework and funding opportunities, designed to reduce YMHD. This commentary briefly describes the collaborative approach used to develop this framework and other strategies implemented across the NIH to address YMHD and serves as an urgent call to action.

Emerging research areas and contributions of NIH in violence research across the lifespan and throughout different settings.

This commentary provides background for NIH's interest in research designed to better understand the causes and consequences of violence and the development, evaluation, and implementation of preventive and treatment interventions to address the resulting trauma, injuries, and mortality from violence. The manuscript describes the context that contributed to a range of initiatives from the NIH focused on violence research, with a particular emphasis on firearms violence prevention research, and opportunities and gaps for future research.

Into the Future of Pediatric Trauma and Critical Care Science.

This Viewpoint describes the scientific mission of the Pediatric Trauma and Critical Illness Branch of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development for research on pediatric trauma and critical illness.

Federal research priorities in child abuse and neglect research: A commentary on multi-site research networks.

The National Institutes of Health has a long history of supporting investigator initiated child abuse research, including risk-factor studies on prevalence, course and consequences of child abuse and neglect. These studies laid the ground work for prevention research as well as the development and testing of therapeutic interventions. The newly established Pediatric Trauma and Critical Illness Branch at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development represents a new opportunity to call attention to the need for greater collaboration among researchers to build on prior work, pursue complex lines of inquiry, address more medically focused research and new clinical questions that will heighten the awareness of the unique needs for treatment and care of abused children.

Attention to the neglected: prospects for research on child neglect for the next decade.

In 1997, the National Institutes of Health within the United States Department of Health and Human Services reviewed the state of its research on child abuse and neglect (US Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, 1997). The findings suggested that although neglect was the most frequent type of child maltreatment, research studies were lacking. Through an unprecedented partnership across federal funding agencies for research on child neglect, research was encouraged in several areas. Over the past fifteen years, consortia of researchers have continued to increase our knowledge of child neglect and to shape the field. Nonetheless, challenges for research on child neglect remain, including the changing demographics of the nation and health disparities. Evidenced-based early interventions and treatments may be an opportunity for prevention of child neglect and improving child welfare services, particularly in an era of health care reform. Developmental researchers across the translational pipeline are encouraged to integrate child neglect research in future studies to inform prevention, treatment and policy efforts for the improved health and well-being of children, families and communities.

Understanding the nature and consequences of children's exposure to violence: research perspectives.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has a long history of supporting research to enhance the scientific understanding of and effective interventions for a range of problems associated with children's exposure to violence. Recently, funded research has improved our understanding of the nature and consequences of children's exposure to violence. This article describes an NIH initiative for research on children's exposure to violence, examples of projects supported by the initiative, and emerging research topics for this important scientific area.