The New Press

Abstract Background Recent studies reveal that the loss of social programs—including Medicaid and SNAP—has negative health impacts among former beneficiaries. Most studies examine these effects using national- or state-level surveys, so it remains unclear if the findings hold across local contexts. This paper examines whether Medicaid unwinding and SNAP loss affects physical and mental health in El Paso County, Texas, where cuts were implemented in 2023. Data and Methods Data consists of an original representative panel survey from El Paso County, conducted over two rounds in 2022 and 2023 (N=673). Using statistical analyses controlling for demographic variables, we analyze the association between Medicaid/SNAP program loss and health outcomes. Results Findings indicate that those who experienced the loss of benefits for a social policy program had worse mental health and physical health outcomes between rounds. The findings on program loss and physical health are more attenuated across model specifications. Discussion Social policy retrenchment has an immediate effect on mental health, while the physical health effects are likely lagged over time and a medium-term consequence of decreased healthcare utilization. These results have major implications for health and social policy implementation in predominantly Mexican American communities in an age of social policy retrenchment.

Meeting the mental health needs of students enrolled in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors is particularly challenging for professional counselors who work in college settings, as STEM students are a subgroup of college students that face unique risks for developing mental health issues. The scarcity of literature on STEM student mental health coupled with their reticence to seek counseling is concerning. An important next step in this line of research is understanding why STEM students are reticent to seek counseling. Accordingly, the present investigators validated STEM students’ scores on the Revised Fit, Stigma, and Value (RFSV) Scale, a screening tool for measuring barriers to seeking counseling. Results also established the capacity of STEM students’ RFSV scores to predict peer-to-peer referrals to the counseling center and revealed demographic differences in barriers to counseling. Findings have implications for enhancing professional counselors’ efforts to support STEM students’ mental health.