In 2021, there were over 3.6 million reports of alleged child maltreatment in the United States; however, only 608,354 cases were substantiated cases of maltreatment. Substantiated cases are those in which case managers have determined that maltreatment was indeed present (Font et al., 2020). However, there are racial and ethnic (R/E) disparities in maltreatment reports and foster care placement rates (Atkinson et al., 2022; Singh & Gudiño, 2024). These disparities may reflect the theory of “street-level” bureaucracy (Lipsky, 1980), which highlights how front-line workers (e.g. family court judges, case managers) play a central role in decision making. Their choices often reflect personal biases, systemic inequalities, and the pressures of an overburdened child welfare system (Fedoravicius et al., 2008). The present study uses data from the 2021 National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) to identify the most frequently experienced forms of substantiated maltreatment among R/E minority youth. Chi-square analyses will be used to examine potential disparities in maltreatment types across R/E minority youth. Findings will inform future research in examining differences in maltreatment types and referral rates to mental health services across R/E minority youth.

In order to remember, our brain utilizes three processes: encoding, consolidation, and retrieval. Encoding essentially is the process by which the brain stores and processes information, retrieval is the process by which the brain retrieves the encoded information, while consolidation is the process by which the brain brings information from short-term memory and then moves it to long-term memory. A major focus of memory research is exploring methods to influence these various consolidation processes that exist in our brain. To that end, previous research has shown that transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS), when applied during consolidation, leads to an increase in consolidation efficacy. This project aims to elucidate the mechanisms by which tACS affects memory consolidation, and whether the reinstatement of the encoding context during consolidation simultaneously with stimulation influences which memories benefit from the tACS intervention. This study hypothesizes that the tACS intervention could lead to participants exhibiting greater recall and recognition for information learned within the reinstated context. This research is relevant to work that aims to refine tACS for use in the clinical field. For example, tACS research could provide clinicians with new treatments and/or interventions by allowing them to assist patients suffering from memory deficits.

In recent years, the wellness culture, amplified by social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, has redefined health through a lens of restriction, discipline, and purity. Phrases such as “Your body needs a detox” and “All processed foods are bad” have become common, reinforcing unrealistic standards around eating and body image. This shift has contributed to the emergence of orthorexia nervosa (ON), an unhealthy obsession with “clean” or “pure” eating. Although not formally recognized in the DSM-5, ON is gaining clinical and academic attention due to its overlap with both anorexia nervosa and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Young women, particularly those in college environments, are disproportionately affected as they navigate intersecting pressures related to appearance, productivity, and moralized health ideas, which have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and media exposure. This literature review explores how wellness culture's promotion of restrictive “healthy” diets contributes to ON and examines the resulting psychological burdens and hormonal consequences, particularly in young women. The review is organized into three sections: the psychological toll of ON, its biological and hormonal effects (such as HPA axis disruption and hypothalamic amenorrhea), and the broader public health implications. The findings emphasize expanding clinical criteria and public discourse to better identify and intervene in disordered eating patterns that are often mischaracterized as healthy behavior.