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Millions of Californians struggle with costs of housing, health care, latest California Health Interview Survey shows

The annual survey released by UCLA also highlights the health effects of wildfires, access to health care, and hate incidents, among hundreds of other topics

CHIS data release graphic

Press Releases

Mental health care needs differ within LGBT community, UCLA study finds

Transgender and bisexual individuals had higher rates of thinking about suicide and of psychological distress

upset transgender person

Press Releases

More online resources needed for Californians with disabilities requiring help making critical decisions

UCLA analysis calls for providing supported decision-making materials tailored for more languages, cultures, employment sectors, and disability types

Woman helps a man older than her read information on a tablet computer.

Press Releases

Community organizations awarded $200,000 to implement UCLA students’ health equity projects

Four proposals each receive $50,000 to support Black male trauma recovery, foster youth resilience, autism-friendly emergency departments, and accessible playgrounds

The 2025 UCLA Health Equity Challenge finalists

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Illustration of a young girl holding a toy rabbit inside an illustration of an adult woman.

Adults who had difficult childhoods are not receiving sufficient mental health care

Nearly 40% of adults who had four or more adverse childhood experiences reported an unmet need for treatment

Bethlehem Michael

Growing Together: Cultivating Health for Older Adults Through Community Gardens

Grandma Lul and Grandpa Ghebreab first came to live with my family when I was three years old. They were my mother’s parents and traveled the same long path that brought my mother and father to the U.S. from a small country in the Horn of Africa, called Eritrea. I didn’t know it then, but over the years, my grandparents and I would form an unbreakable bond.

Katie Fruin

The Veteran’s Garden

During my fourth year of medical school, someone I loved passed away from suicide. While I cycled through different stages of grief, I realized I had to stop asking myself, “What could I have done differently?” and instead start asking, “What can I do differently?”

Supraja Saravanakumar

Spill the Chai Ma

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a silent struggle for many new mothers, but for South Asian women, cultural stigmas and generational pressures often exacerbate this already challenging condition. As a woman of color and a first-generation college graduate, I have walked a path shaped by the nuances of both my cultural heritage and my academic pursuits.

Angela Rose David

Empowering the Filipino-American Community Through Informed Caregiving

The scent of antiseptic and tapioca pudding wafted through the air. Placing the empty food tray on my borrowed cot, I glanced around my grandparents’ shared room. Clunky metal beds, a suitcase full of clothes, and a bulletin board on the wall filled with doctor notes and medication lists. Feeling a nudge, I turn to my right and see my grandpa’s toothless smile, his favorite card deck in hand.

Jose Segura-Bermudez

The Embers of My Life: The Path to the Radiate Health Initiative

Radiate Health is my UCLA Health Equity Challenge project that centers around an HIV self-testing kit tailored to the Latinx community that hopes to increase frequent testing, reduce the negative stigma around HIV, and increase HIV education.

Michelle Ko

Peaks and Valleys in the San Gabriel Valley: Addressing Mental Health Disparities in Asian American Youth

Steaming, juicy soup dumplings, spicy tender beef soup with thick knife-cut noodles, and refreshing iced boba milk tea with sugar adjusted so it’s not-too-sweet. These are some of the imagery that often pop into one’s mind when speaking about the San Gabriel Valley.

Monika Shankar

Living, Studying and Playing Near Industry: The Imperative of Planning for Healthier Communities

On a Monday morning in December 2002, the improper dismantling of a mortar shell by workers at a local metal recycler in Watts sent a 40-pound cannon round 1,000 feet into the air. On descent, it landed in the baseball field of David Starr Jordan High School, which stands directly adjacent to the facility. At the time, no students were present on the field (luckily).

Zuri Inzunza

Equi-T: A Vision for Prideful Pathways to Wellness and Supporting Trans Youth

“The more I hold myself close and fully embrace who I am, the more I thrive.” — Elliot Page When reflecting upon this quote, I pondered on the meaning of thrive. In various interpretations, thrive was defined as growth, prosperity, and bloom. For many communities, past, present, and evolving barriers make it challenging to thrive in systems that were not built with everyone in mind.

Salmaan Kamal

This Solution to the Homelessness Crisis Starts in Jail

As a primary care doctor, I learned early in medical training that a small fraction of health is determined by clinic visits and hospital stays. Pills only work if you can afford them.