Lerner Center News

Harrington Meyer talks to AARP about grandparenting special needs kids

 About 17 percent of children are diagnosed with some kind of disability, says University Professor Madonna Harrington Meyer, co-author of the book "Grandparenting Children With Disabilities." While that percentage seems to be increasing, support programs for families are not, she says.
March 2, 2021

See related: Aging, Child & Elder Care, Disability, United States

Landes quoted in CTV story on COVID-19 vaccine, people with disabilities

Scott Landes, associate professor of sociology, was quoted in the CTV article, "Advocates worry as most disabled people left off vaccine priority list." 
February 23, 2021

See related: COVID-19, Health Policy, IDD, Mental Health, Social Justice, Southeast Asia

Monnat discusses increase in overdoses during the pandemic in VICE

"At its core, I think addiction is about a need for connection," says Shannon Monnat, Lerner Chair for Public Health Promotion. "My research shows that work, family and community are the three most important factors for understanding why drug overdose rates are higher in some places than others. Work, family and community are the three arenas where we derive meaning and purpose from our lives. If we don’t have those connections, we might seek it out elsewhere, for example with drugs."
February 22, 2021

See related: Addiction, COVID-19, United States

VICE article titled "Pain and Isolation Are Driving America’s Lockdown Overdose Surge" quotes Monnat

"Work, family, and community are the three arenas where we derive meaning and purpose from our lives. If we don’t have those connections, we might seek it out elsewhere, for example with drugs,” says Shannon Monnat, associate professor of sociology and Lerner Chair for Public Health Promotion.

February 19, 2021

See related: Addiction, COVID-19, Mental Health, United States

Monnat quoted in Syracuse.com article on Onondaga County deaths

The reason behind 2020′s death toll is further muddied by the fact that the shutdown might have, paradoxically, saved some lives. "It could be that deaths from certain causes declined and therefore offset the increase due to COVID," says Shannon Monnat, associate professor of sociology and Lerner Chair for Public Health Promotion. 
February 17, 2021

See related: COVID-19, Longevity, New York State

Monnat featured in Institute for New Economic Thinking article on deaths of despair, COVID-19

Read more in the Institute for New Economic Thinking article, "Epidemic of Despair Could Haunt America Long After COVID." 
February 4, 2021

See related: Addiction, COVID-19, United States

Monnat interviewed by Institute for New Economic Thinking on the Epidemic of Despair

Shannon Monnat, associate professor of sociology and Lerner Chair for Public Health Promotion, emphasizes that above all, widespread and quick vaccination has to be at the top of the agenda for preventing more deaths of despair. “In order to restart everything and get people back to their somewhat normal lives, they have to feel safe going out into the workplace, or to recreation and other consumption-based and activity-based places.”

February 4, 2021

See related: Addiction, COVID-19, United States

London publishes new research on same-sex marriage and the risk of divorce

Lerner Affiliate Andrew London found in new research that same-sex sexuality puts a brake on divorce by preventing some different-sex marriages that would ultimately end in divorce, but is associated with an increased risk of different-sex divorce among once-married individuals.

February 3, 2021

Montez quoted in Undark article on state policies, life expectancy

Professor Jennifer Karas Montez was quoted in the Undark article, "Are Conservative Policies Shortening American Lives?"
February 2, 2021

See related: Longevity, State & Local, United States

In Memoriam: Sid Lerner '53, Benefactor of Maxwell's Lerner Center, Dies at 90

During his career, the legendary advertising executive represented such well-known brands as Maxwell House and Texaco, and created memorable campaigns including “Please Don’t Squeeze the Charmin” featuring Mr. Whipple.
January 22, 2021

See related: Giving, In Memoriam

Landes comments on vaccine prioritization for people with IDD in Washington Post

Scott Landes, associate professor of sociology, says if states had a greater focus on the pandemic’s impact on the disabled," vaccination prioritization would be much clearer. You would have the evidence to tell you what needs to be done."
January 13, 2021

See related: COVID-19, IDD, U.S. Health Policy, United States

Monnat weighs in on Central New York COVID-19 deaths in Syracuse.com article

"To keep things in perspective, there have been 330 COVID deaths in the county over the whole year so far," says Shannon Monnat, Lerner Chair for Public Health Promotion. "There are still far more deaths annually from heart disease and cancer," she adds. But, "If these numbers are similar for 2020," Monnat says, “COVID will be the third-leading cause of death in the county this year."
January 5, 2021

See related: COVID-19, Health Policy, New York State, State & Local

Van Slyke's brief on homelessness mentioned in Business Insider

"In order to properly care for all people and prevent further virus spread and deaths, cooperation between the private and public sectors is essential," writes Ashley Van Slyke, Lerner undergraduate research assistant.

January 4, 2021

See related: COVID-19, Gender and Sex, Housing, United States

Monnat discusses COVID’s role in rising drug overdose deaths with the Associated Press

December 23, 2020

See related: Addiction, COVID-19, Longevity, U.S. Health Policy, United States

Monnat quoted in Associated Press about the surge in US deaths

While COVID-19 has played a large part in the U.S. death toll, Lerner Chair Shannon Monnat also speaks to the increase in drug overdoses. She says, “I don’t suspect there are a bunch of new people who suddenly started using drugs because of COVID. If anything, I think the supply of people who are already using drugs is more contaminated."

December 22, 2020

See related: Addiction, COVID-19, Longevity, U.S. Health Policy, United States

Lerner Graduate Fellow Mariah Brennan Awarded Roscoe Martin Grant

Mariah Brennan has been awarded a Roscoe Martin grant from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University to support her research on female veteran wellbeing in the context of their military separation. 
December 16, 2020

See related: Awards & Honors

Monnat featured on NPR about the strain COVID19 has on urban hospitals

Shannon Monnat talks with NPR about the negative effects of COVID 19, especially the urban/rural divide where rural hospitals do not have the capacity to treat sick patients, and when they are sent to urban hospitals, puts strain on cities to keep up with the influx of hospital patients. 

November 23, 2020

See related: COVID-19, United States, Urban Issues

Monnat discusses COVID-19 impact on rural communities with KCUR

"It’s not just the rural health care infrastructure that becomes overwhelmed when there aren’t enough hospital beds, it’s also the surrounding neighborhoods, the suburbs, the urban hospital infrastructure starts to become overwhelmed as well," says Shannon Monnat, Lerner Chair for Public Health Promotion.

November 17, 2020

See related: COVID-19, Rural Issues, State & Local, United States

Monnat speaks about the negative effects of Coronavirus on rural areas

“It’s not just the rural health care infrastructure that becomes overwhelmed when there aren’t enough hospital beds, it’s also the surrounding neighborhoods, the suburbs, the urban hospital infrastructure starts to become overwhelmed as well," says Shannon Monnat, associate professor of sociology and Lerner Chair for Public Health Promotion.

November 14, 2020

See related: COVID-19, Rural Issues, United States

Landes quoted in New York Times article on COVID-19, people with IDD

November 11, 2020

See related: COVID-19, IDD, United States

Explore by:

See Lerner Center Research
Receive Research Briefs and Newsletters
Learn About Healthy Monday Programs
Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion and Population Health
lerner@syr.edu