AASWSW Fellow News: Career Honors, Child Neglect, and More

Fellows receive honors, discuss whether cash assistance prevents child neglect, and study how HIV stressors affect mental health in Africa.

Cash Assistance and Child Neglect 

July 7, 2025 —  In two recent op-eds published in The Imprint, Fellows discussed the pros and cons of expanding social safety net programs, particularly cash assistance, in order to reduce child neglect. Fellows Lawrence M. Berger, PhD, Todd Herrenkohl, PhD,  Emily Putnam-Hornstein, PhD,  Gina E. Miranda Samuels, PhD, and Kristen Slack, PhD, weighed in.

Read Poverty, Neglect, and Finding the Right Answers and Poverty, Neglect and the Weak Case for Expanding Cash Assistance at The Imprint.

Fellow Receives Lifetime Honor 

June 25, 2025 — Fellow and Distinguished Professor at Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis, Nancy Morrow-Howell, PhD, received the Barbara J. Berkman Award from the Gerontological Society of America. Considered a lifetime achievement award, the honor recognizes Morrow-Howell’s internationally-recognized work on aging and the productive engagement of older adults.

Read the news release from the Gerontological Society of America.

HIV and Mental Health in Sub-Saharan Africa

June 18, 2025 — In sub-Saharan Africa, HIV-related stressors such as stigma, cost, and social rejection are tied to significant mental health challenges among adolescents with perinatally-acquired HIV and their caregivers. New research by Fellow and professor at Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis Wendy Auslander, PhD, indicated elevated depressive and anxiety symptoms in affected youths, and moderate-to-high levels of stigma and caregiver burden. The study suggests that targeted interventions improving psychosocial support could ameliorate these conditions and improve quality of life.

Read the full study at the National Library of Medicine.