Families

A multigenerational group of people who share a close relationship and generally live in the same household, with one or more parents caring for biological or adopted children, families also include adult children who care for their elderly parents. RAND research on families spans various populations and socioeconomic backgrounds in developed as well as developing countries and addresses such topics as child welfare, fertility, marriage and divorce, and household economic security.

  • Events @ RAND Audio Podcast

    Multimedia

    Helping American Veterans and Their Caregivers

    In this podcast, Terri Tanielian offers policy recommendations designed to improve the lives of veterans, their caregivers, and their families.

    Sep 23, 2014

  • News Release

    News Release

    Private Effort to Address Veterans' Mental Health Needs Could Aid VA Health Care Reform

    A unique partnership to support private efforts to provide mental health services to veterans and their families could provide a model for similar efforts should federal officials decide to expand privately provided health care as part of reform of the VA health system.

    Sep 18, 2014

  • A military family sits in front of their house

    Research Brief

    A Program Steps Up to the Plate to Aid Vets, Families with Mental Health Care

    As federal, state, and local agencies work with the philanthropic community to create models to outsource or leverage potential efficiencies from the private sector, a unique partnership and grant-making program to support veterans and their families has value and could guide future efforts.

    Sep 18, 2014

  • Sgt. Jaime Balderrama is honored by the New York Mets as Veteran of the Game, part of the Welcome Back Veterans initiative

    Report

    Private Effort to Address Veterans' Mental Health Needs Could Aid VA Health Care Reform

    A unique partnership to support private efforts to provide mental health services to veterans and their families could be a model for similar efforts should federal officials decide to expand privately provided health care as part of reform of the VA health system.

    Sep 17, 2014

  • Two girls blowing their noses

    Commentary

    Germs Go Back to School, Too: Five Ways to Protect Your Kids

    With kids working and playing in close contact and sharing supplies and equipment, schools can be hotbeds for infection. Each year, K-12 students miss about 60 million school days due to colds and the flu combined. But these five approaches can help reduce their chance of spreading infections and getting sick.

    Aug 25, 2014

  • An elderly man getting served a meal by his daughter

    Commentary

    Meeting the Caregivers Challenge

    Ill or injured military personnel and veterans and people with dementia are unique populations, but they give us a preview of the enormous long-term care challenges Americans will face in the decades to come.

    Aug 25, 2014

  • Senior father and adult son

    Commentary

    Response to 'Study on Parental Longevity Is Short on Causation'

    The possible effects of families on health and mortality is an extremely complex topic. No single study or type of study is exactly a test of the argument. We need more studies that advance possible interpretations and describe patterns of associations in broad populations of interest.

    Aug 11, 2014

  • Report

    Report

    How Deployments Affect the Capacity and Utilization of Army Treatment Facilities

    This study examines how the Army's Force Generation (ARFORGEN) deployment cycle affects capability and soldier health care utilization at Army military treatment facilities and how it affects family health care utilization.

    Aug 7, 2014

  • Distressed soldier with counselor

    Commentary

    Military and Veteran Mental Health: Why Should Psychiatrists Care?

    What's happening in the mental health world of the U.S. military and veterans is of great interest to all American psychiatrists. The local impact of recent deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan runs much deeper than just the number of veterans in a particular practice or community.

    Aug 6, 2014

  • Journal Article

    Journal Article

    Time Off to Care for a Sick Child: Why Family-Leave Policies Matter

    There is substantial unmet need for parental leave to care for chronically ill children.

    Aug 1, 2014

  • College graduate with parents

    Journal Article

    Do College-Educated Children Lengthen Parents' Lifespan?

    Initial findings suggest highly educated children contribute to the parents' longevity. Encouraging better parental health habits, providing access to resources and information, and delivering higher-quality care are some possible explanations for this correlation.

    Aug 1, 2014

  • A son, father, and grandfather fishing from a dock

    Commentary

    Demographics Add Urgency for Action on Dementia Long-Term Care

    Dementia takes a huge toll on those afflicted with it but also has major consequences for those who must care for them. More than 15 million Americans provide care for loved ones with dementia—tending to their daily, routine needs and ensuring their medical needs are met.

    Jul 28, 2014

  • Brochure

    Brochure

    Fact Sheet: European Platform for Investing in Children

    This fact sheet aims to introduce the European Platform for Investing in Children through a Q&A section, and a diagram illustrating how EPIC operates and reviews practices in the field of child and family wellbeing.

    Jul 25, 2014

  • Man in wheelchair with caregiver, sitting by a lake

    Commentary

    Parallel Caregiver Crises, Military and Civilian

    Among American caregivers, there are two expanding populations: those caring for military servicemembers struggling with physical or emotional wounds of war and those looking after people with dementia. Both face incalculable financial stresses and threats to their own health as a result of their caregiving roles.

    Jul 9, 2014

  • The Carl T. Hayden VA Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona June 11, 2014

    Commentary

    Private Mental Health Providers Must Stand Ready to Help Veterans

    Not all veterans wish to seek services at or through the VA, and many may not meet eligibility criteria. The VA is a critical component of the health care delivery system for former U.S. servicemembers, but it cannot and should not comprise the system alone.

    Jun 27, 2014

  • Man proposing to a surprised woman with a ring

    Commentary

    Are Youth Putting Off Marriage Because of Their Student Loan Debt?

    Women with higher loan balances may be less likely to get married than their peers with lower or no loan balances. But as time goes on, young adults adjust to their post-college financial situation and eventually get promotions, earn raises, obtain other assets, and get married.

    Jun 26, 2014

  • Former U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole speaking at the 2014 Pardee RAND Graduate School commencement

    Blog

    Sen. Elizabeth Dole Urges Graduates to Use Storytelling to Advance Policy

    Facts and objective analysis are important, but for policy analysts to make a difference in the real world they also have to be able to tell a story, former U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole said at the June 21 Pardee RAND Graduate School commencement.

    Jun 24, 2014

  • military homecoming

    Blog

    Ask Me Anything: Rajeev Ramchand on Military Caregivers

    With military caregivers quickly becoming a topic of national discussion, RAND's Rajeev Ramchand hosted an "Ask Me Anything" session on Reddit last week, fielding a variety of questions about military caregivers and other issues concerning mental health and the U.S. military.

    Jun 24, 2014

  • Multimedia

    How to Better Support Military Caregivers

    Caring for a current or former U.S. servicemember can take a toll on family, friends, and acquaintances. Changes are needed to both provide assistance to caregivers and to help them make plans for the future.

    Jun 24, 2014

  • old hands on walking stick

    Project

    Dementia Blueprint

    Annual costs of dementia exceed those of cancer and heart disease and will only continue to rise as the nation's population ages. Key policy options can help strengthen and improve long-term services and supports for those with dementia and their caregivers.

    Jun 23, 2014

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