The purpose of this content analysis was to examine how death depictions in animated Disney films has changed in the past 14 years and the coping mechanisms used to process death within these films. A content analysis from 2005 was used to investigate the influence of Disney films on children’s concepts of death based on 23 death scenes from 10 full-length Disney Classic animated films from 1937 to 2003 and 10 death scenes from 8 selected full-length Disney and Pixar animated films from 2003 to 2016. Our goal was to compare the findings across the two studies. Similar to the original study, the portrayal of death focused on five categories: character status; depiction of death; death status; emotional reaction; and causality. We expanded on the original study and more research by examining coping mechanisms used to process death within a selection of these films. Our findings indicated that some scenes from animated Disney and Pixar films obscure the permanence and irreversibility of death and often fail to acknowledge deaths emotionally. Our conclusions showed that Disney’s and Pixar’s portrayal of death in newer films might have more positive implications for children’s understanding of death than Disney Classic animated films.

The functioning of the U.S. social safety net as a support for low-income families depends on various means-tested programs and a system of both public agencies and nonprofit organizations. Using in-depth interviews ( n = 5) and a survey of nonprofit employees ( n = 73), we seek to understand the role of nonprofits in promoting equitable access to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. Our findings reveal that public assistance programs are a necessary support for families, but that access is not always easy or equitable, and nonprofits form a protective layer of support providing resources and guidance for those most in need. Implications for policy and partnerships between the various components of the social safety net are discussed.

Objective: The aim was to examine research on the impact of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) on the reduction of preimplantation opioid dose and what preimplantation opioid dose is associated with a reduction or discontinuation of opioid use postimplantation.Methods: Systematic review of literature from PubMed, Web of Science, and Ovid Medline search of "opioid" and "pain" and "spinal cord stimulator." Inclusion criteria included original research providing data on SCS preimplantation opioid dosing and 12 months postimplantation opioid dosing or that correlated specific preimplantation opioid dose or opioid dose cutoff with significantly increased likelihood of opioid use discontinuation at 12 months postimplantation.

Hard economic times often force a greater number of families to turn to public benefits and programs for financial help. These larger safety net caseloads are more diverse than those of strong economic times, including families who are brand-new to the safety net as well as families who, under different economic circumstances, may have needed only short-term assistance. These families may differ from traditional recipients in terms of characteristics and circumstances. To understand how the New Jersey single-parent Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) caseload changed in response to COVID-19 between April of 2019 and April of 2020, we conducted a two-step cluster analysis that identified six different types of families. Compared to the April 2019 (pre-pandemic) caseload, we found that the number of the TANF participants increased in April 2020 (during the COVID-19 pandemic). Interestingly, we also found that the largest proportional increases in the caseload were driven by single jobless adults who are older, have at least a high school education, do not have a disability, and have fewer and older children, while the largest declines were driven by single adults with a job. Taken together, it seems that single adults with relatively better demographic circumstances are having a harder time finding jobs, and so turned to or remained on TANF in April 2020. In response to the pandemic, some, but not all, states have relaxed or temporarily suspended TANF work requirements and time limits. Our findings suggest that such changes in TANF requirements reflect empirical changes in the caseload and merit further attention, particularly in terms of federal and state budget strain.