Latest News from Social and Behavioral Sciences

Emma Bebarta, MPH ’26 , is a graduating student in Social and Behavioral Sciences.

Robert Pietrzak, PhD, MPH, professor of psychiatry and of public health (social and behavioral sciences), has been selected to receive the 2026 International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS) Robert S. Laufer Memorial Award for Outstanding Scientific Achievement.

Aging does not mean inevitable decline, new YSPH research suggests – and having a optimistic outlook can even bring improvements.

Public Health Day highlighted Yale School of Public Health’s commitment to reaching the next generation of potential public health leaders before they have chosen a path and showing them what the field looks like up close.

“What are you going to do when you go back?” It’s the question that set Jeannette Ickovics, PhD, a faculty affiliate at the Yale Institute of Global Health (YIGH), on a new trajectory toward global climate and health. After nearly five years at Yale-NUS College in Singapore, first as a visiting professor and later as dean of faculty, Ickovics found herself reflecting on what the next phase of her career might look like upon returning to New Haven.

Suicide remains a leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for nearly 800,000 deaths each year. The burden falls disproportionately on low- and middle-income countries, which account for roughly 75% of global suicides. In South Asia, where suicide rates are among the highest globally, stigma and legal barriers often make prevention efforts especially challenging. For Ashley Hagaman, PhD, MPH, associate professor of public health (social and behavioral sciences) at Yale School of Public Health (YSPH) and a faculty affiliate of the Yale Institute for Global Health (YIGH), addressing this issue means developing solutions that are not only evidence-based, but also locally feasible and culturally grounded.

This video series highlights older adults engaging in their chosen creative pursuits throughout the lifespan.

Despite stereotypes that the body and brain automatically decline as people get older, new YSPH research shows that many people are more like fine wine: improving with age.

While households wait for subsidies and struggle with unaffordable rents, even a temporary financial shock can push them into homelessness, YSPH Professor Danya Keene and colleagues say in this Op-Ed.