Research In Action
Research In Action
Read our latest roundup of notable child injury prevention news articles from December 2025.
Coming Out as a Period of Suicide Risk
This Pediatrics study found that among sexual minority youth, the period around coming out to family or friends is associated with an increase in suicide risk—including suicidal thoughts, plans, and attempts—highlighting that disclosure of sexual identity can be a time of heightened vulnerability.
Cannabis Use and School Outcomes
In a nationally representative U.S. sample of 8th, 10th, and 12th graders, more frequent cannabis use was linked with poorer academic performance, worse emotional functioning, and reduced self‑regulation—even at monthly use levels.
A new study projects that self‑driving cars could prevent over 1 million road injuries in the U.S. between 2025 and 2035, but this projection assumes significant adoption of autonomous vehicles and that they are substantially safer than human-driven cars. The exact benefit depends on both the proportion of autonomous miles driven and their real-world safety performance.
In a nationally representative sample of U.S. high school students, those who reported being bullied at school had significantly higher odds of suicide attempts in the past year compared with non‑bullied peers, and the association was especially strong among female students
Housing Status and Traumatic Injury Recovery
This study found that houseless (homeless) pediatric trauma patients had more than double the odds of death and higher likelihood of being transferred for additional care compared with matched housed peers, and that children identifying as racial minorities also faced significantly worse outcomes after traumatic injury.
