For the first time, UH researchers have mapped Houston’s “mental health deserts,” revealing inequities in access to care across the city. The study, published Oct. 15 in Frontiers of Public Health, highlights the uneven distribution of mental health professionals and calls for targeted interventions and policy solutions. “So many neighborhoods had no mental health professionals in their ZIP codes,” said Chakema Carmack, senior author and associate professor of health. “It does follow patterns of other lack-of-access variables out there, such as food access, physical care access, clinic access and insurance coverage.”

New research from UH reveals certain types of fun, particularly those with outdoor adventure components, may offer greater social and emotional benefits for youth. Bradley H. Smith, professor of School Psychology, explores this idea in a study published in August in the Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education. “I don’t think people take fun seriously enough,” Smith said. “It's a basic human need, and we're better off doing it.”

UH researchers are at the forefront of developing a strong, sustainable teacher workforce — backed by a $1 million grant from the Houston Endowment. The funding supports the work of UH’s Center for Research, Evaluation, and Advancement of Teacher Education, which will study how school districts are using different teacher certification pathways to improve student outcomes and teacher recruitment and retention.