Studied health and finances among 1,782 older unmarried persons. Examined effect of financial strain on physical health over time and degree to which vulnerability to financial strain was linked to health. Found no evidence that financial strain contributed to poor health. (Author/NB)

Conducted two studies on economic stress and suicide on same population. First study replicated aggregate time-series work using monthly data for 1975-82 for Los Angeles, California. Results do not support contention that economic contraction has strong, widespread effect on suicide in general population. Findings suggest effect that regional…

Conducted two studies on economic stress and suicide on same population. Second study combined aggregate economic indicators with individual-level measures of stressful events, symptoms, and suicidal ideation obtained in survey of Los Angeles, California (1978-82). Findings revealed small associations between economic stress and suicide or…

Examined relationships between economic distress and family satisfaction and effects of social integration on these relationships among 1,561 married adults. Results indicated that income components of economic distress were related to family satisfaction while employment components were not. Economic distress was negatively related to social…

Estimated impoverishment risk for two samples of community-living elderly (N=900+). Found that for elders over age 75, 46 percent of those living alone and 2 percent of couples would spend lifetime assets and current income, becoming impoverished in 13 weeks if institutionalized in skilled nursing facility. Rates were comparable for elders over…

The study identified the financial problems of displaced and nondisplaced homemakers. Results indicated that recently displaced homemakers who are older, live with dependent children, and have low incomes experience more financial problems than their peers. Recommendations include offering vocational education programs to motivate displaced…

Describes the impact of economic stressors on marriage. Discusses how Adlerian marital therapy strategies can be tailored to help middle-income couples deal with such stressors. Identifies problems facing middle income families experiencing financial hardship, describes Adlerian counseling for financial conflict in marriage, and delineates…

Describes how the University of Washington's School of Communications responded to the news that it would be reviewed and possibly eliminated because of the budget crises in the state of Washington. (SR)

Using data from 1981-82 Channeling Demonstration project, examined types of health care costs (hospital, physician and ancillary care, nursing home, and prescription medicine) that contributed to overall expenses to determine sources of financially catastrophic health care expenses among disabled elderly persons. Found expenses for prescription…

Advocates composting as a valuable alternative to the landfill for waste management. As much as two-thirds of garbage can be composted, and the process has become more cost effective. Some challenges to composting are producing a compost product that will sell and dealing with the odor created by the process. (KS)

Cohabitation is now the modal path to marriage in the United States. Drawing on data from 115 in-depth interviews with cohabitors from the working and lower middle classes, this paper explores how economics shape marital decision making. We find that cohabitors typically perceive financial issues as important for marriage, and we delineate several…

Certain higher-education institutions are at risk in 2007 and beyond, according to Moody's Investors Service, which gauges colleges' financial health. They include small private colleges with limited geographic draw, colleges with ambitious spending plans to improve their national reputations, and regional public universities that face heavy…

University presses have complained for years that tenure committees unfairly expect their editors to be arbiters of what counts as tenure-worthy work. At the same time, the presses have been caught in a business-side squeeze between dwindling sales (and shrinking subsidies) and the ever-greater pressure on scholars to publish. In this article, the…

The Annie E. Casey Foundation has published the "Data Book" for each of the past 24 years, tracking the well-being of America's children nationally and by state. To take advantage of the tremendous growth in research and data on child development, the Annie E. Casey Foundation has improved how they measure child well-being and rank…

This paper examines labor market conditions and public employment policies in the United States during what some are calling the Great Recession. We document the dramatic labor market changes that rapidly unfolded when the rate of gross domestic product growth turned negative, from the end of 2007 through early 2009. The paper reviews the…