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Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology

Research by Weaver and Colleagues on Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders in Kenya

CSDE Affiliate Dr. Marcia Weaver (Health Metrics Sciences, Global Health, Health Systems and Population Health) and co-authors published “Burden and risk factors of mental and substance use disorders among adolescents and young adults in Kenya: results from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019” in eClinical Medicine. Mental and substance use disorders are a major public health concern globally, with high rates of morbidity for all disorders, and mortality for primarily substance use disorders. The first author, Dr. Manasi Kumar (Global Health) initiated the article with colleagues at the Kenyan Ministry of Health to summarize  Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factor (GBD) Study 2019 results for ages 10 to 24 years. Mental disorders are the second leading cause of disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), which combine the burden of morbidity and mortality, in these age groups.  Burden for mental disorders is higher for females than males, and for substance use disorders is higher for males than females. The burden of mental and substance abuse disorders increases with age, with the exceptions of autism spectrum disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, conduct disorder, and idiopathic developmental intellectual disability. Among the 17% of DALYs for mental disorders that are attributable to risk factors, bullying and victimization accounted for 65%.

CSDE Welcomes *New* Program Coordinator Maddie Farris

CSDE is delighted to welcome Maddie Farris as a permanent program coordinator.  Maddie is no stranger to CSDE, having served as the temporary program coordinator for the last three months!  She comes to us from WSU, but we won’t hold that against her – she has roots in UW and Seattle, too!  Maddie can help you with any questions, support your events, travel, reimbursements, and any program coordination.  The best way to reach Maddie is through csde-prgm-coord@uw.edu.  Here’s what Maddie shared about joining CSDE: “Hi everyone! I am excited to continue working with the CSDE, I have enjoyed the last 3 months getting to know everyone and glad that I get to continue getting to know you all more. Even though it will always be go cougs, I am grateful that I get to work at the university and with this department. A little bit more about me, if I haven’t already talked your ear off, is that I graduated from Washington State University (again go cougs, sorry) with a Bachelor’s degree in Strategic Communication/Public Relations and Business Administration. I grew up in Mukilteo, WA, and currently still live there and I have two dogs named Cody and Penny. I really like to read, so if you have any good book recommendations let me know! Again, excited to get to work with you all more and grow my career!”

CSDE is Hiring! (Due 1/19/24)

CSDE has a Budget/Fiscal Analyst Lead position open.  Please share with an eligible candidate!  The Budget/Fiscal Analyst Lead supports our entire operation with managing and forecasting budgets for grants and other revenue sources.  In this position, the lead will work with a team in CSDE’s Administrative Core and join a larger team of colleagues supporting Population Research across UW campuses.

*New* CSDE Computational Demography Working Group (CDWG) Hosts Xinguang Fan on Fertility Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic (01/10/2024)

On January 10 from 3:00-4:00 pm, Dr. Xinguang Fan will join CDWG to present his research. Xinguang Fan is an assistant professor at Department of Sociology, Peking University in China and also a regional affiliate at CSDE, UW. His academic interest lies in the field of demography, social inequality, and quantitative methods with a particular focus on the fertility transition from a network perspective. His work has appeared in Social Science Research, Demographic Research and other academic journals.

Fertility Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Perspective of Reproductive Process

The COVID-19 pandemic has potential large-scale impacts on populations. Yet, recent theories and empirical analyses fall short in fully articulating the extent and nature of the pandemic’s influence on birth rates at the aggregate level. This study advances our comprehension of fertility dynamics amid the pandemic by examining the reproductive process. The effects of the pandemic on conceptions and pregnancy ends may exhibit considerable variability, which, in turn, could dictate the observed patterns in birth rates during the pandemic. Employing a detailed dataset including information on conceptions, pregnancy terminations, and births, the research dissects the nuances of fertility behavior in response to the pandemic. A simulation practice based on a model of reproductive process illustrates the dynamic impacts of the pandemic on fertility. These findings underscore the importance of considering the reproductive process when studying fertility responses to catastrophic events.

CDWG Will be Hybrid in Winter Quarter 2024. Zoom Registration is here: Link

Room: Raitt 223 – The Demography lab