Social Science & Medicine

Suicide-related media portrayals can exert both harmful and protective effects on suicide-related outcomes, with the Papageno effect describing suicide-preventive influences of coping-oriented portrayals. Adult animated series have largely been absent from research, despite animation’s popularity and its distinctive capacity to externalize psychological states, rendering experiences of mental hea…

Many transmasculine and gender diverse people assigned female at birth people use testosterone as gender-affirming hormone therapy, which is associated with significant changes to sexual and reproductive health. Additionally, transmasculine people experience significant barriers to accessing gynecological care. This study examined the perceived role of testosterone in individuals' gynecological h…

Neighborhoods play a critical role in cognitive health risk and resilience, particularly as most older adults prefer to age in place. Research on this topic has largely focused on neighborhood socioeconomic indicators and a limited set of physical features such as green space and walkability. Broader neighborhood amenities, services, and built infrastructure that can support cognitive stimulation…

The study shows that despite legislative reform, disability-related earnings penalties have persisted and, in some cases, worsened. Moreover, gender disparities in earnings remain intrinsic, irrespective of an individual's disability status.

This paper uncovers how LGBTIQA+ service users navigate fertility clinics in the UK whilst under conditions of reproductive bioprecarity. By conducting 36 interviews with 54 fertility service users and providers, we identify four types of reproductive labor (intimate, emotional, decisional, and auto-didactic), which are used to manage structural and clinical inequalities. We contribute to existin…

Populations worldwide are aging, intensifying the challenge of meeting long-term care (LTC) needs. While formal LTC programs aim to address this demand, less is known about how they interact with informal caregiving and affect caregiver health and labor outcomes. This paper exploits the staggered expansion of Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waivers across U.S. states to examine …

Beyond sociodemographic disparities, difference from the majority population may manifest through both direct and indirect forms of discrimination. Migration-related barriers may further restrict access to health services, deepening inequalities. Our findings highlight consistent disparities among health service users and underscore the need for equity driven initiatives, including anti-racism tr…

Black caregivers of autistic children encounter numerous barriers to accessing diagnoses and services, leading to adverse outcomes due to delayed diagnosis and limited access to services. The presence of stigma within the Black community, combined with interpersonal and institutional racism, may contribute to these ongoing inequalities; however, few studies address these forms of discrimination t…