High Risk Populations
High Risk Populations - Related Videos
02:04
Conservation of Small Populations
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2019
Small population sizes put a species at extreme risk of extinction due to a lack of variation, and a consequent decrease in adaptability. This weakens the chances of survival under pressures such as climate change, competition from other species, or new diseases. Large populations are more likely to survive pressures such as these, as such populations are more likely to harbor individuals that have genetic variants that are adaptive under new stresses. Small populations are much less likely to...
14:47
Population Growth - Student Protocol
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2019
Exponential Population Growth Model ExpandNOTE: In these experiments you will use computer software to simulate different types of growth models. HYPOTHESES: The experimental hypothesis might be that if we increase either R, the reproductive rate or the initial population size, NT, that this will increase the population size after 10 generations in an exponential growth model compared to unmanipulated control populations. The null hypothesis may be that populations of different R and initial...
04:45
Population Growth - Concepts
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2019
Population Models An ecological population is a group of individuals of a single species living in an area at the same time. To persist, a population must either grow or maintain its size. Population ecology is the study of how population size and age distribution change over time through interactions with other species and the environment as well as with individuals of their own species. A particularly important feature that is studied by ecologists is the rate at which a population grows or...
19:15
Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
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Cited by 40 •
2014
The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale (NNNS) was developed as an assessment for the at-risk infant. The purpose of this article is to describe the NNNS, provide video examples of the NNNS procedures and discuss the ways in which the exam has been used.
07:20
Dried Blood Spot Collection of Health Biomarkers to Maximize Participation in Population Studies
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Cited by 65 •
2014
Biomarkers are directly-measured biological indicators of disease or health. In population and social sciences, biomarkers need to be easy to obtain, transport, and analyze. Dried Blood Spot (DBS) collection meets this need, can be collected in the field with high response rates and analyzed for a variety of biomarkers.
FAQs
Risk does not arise from a single characteristic; it can emerge when biological, developmental, environmental, and social influences interact. Trauma or chronic stress may combine with discrimination, limited resources, or genetic and developmental characteristics, changing the likelihood of depression, anxiety, substance use, or trauma-related disorders. This interactional view helps psychology examine pathways rather than treating group membership as destiny.
Protective factors can reduce the effects of exposure to vulnerability, so elevated risk should not be interpreted as an inevitable outcome. Their presence helps explain why individuals within the same population may show different psychological or behavioral trajectories. Accounting for these buffers supports more accurate research and practice by recognizing individual variation while still identifying patterns that may warrant attention.
Psychological risk classification should guide support, not label people as inherently impaired. A population-level pattern describes increased likelihood, whereas individual outcomes remain variable. Keeping that distinction explicit reduces stigma and prevents researchers or practitioners from overlooking strengths. It also encourages interpretations that consider both vulnerabilities and protective factors instead of relying on group membership alone.
Screening high risk populations can help identify concerns early, particularly when paired with prevention and early intervention. In psychology, the process may focus attention on depression, anxiety, substance use, or trauma-related disorders, based on the vulnerabilities relevant to the group being considered. Its practical value lies in directing appropriate attention and support before problems become more severe.
Researchers and practitioners can use risk information to prioritize limited resources for groups more likely to experience adverse outcomes. This does not justify a one-size-fits-all response. Instead, findings can inform targeted prevention, screening, and early intervention while preserving attention to individual differences. The goal is more efficient support without assuming that every member of a population has the same needs.
Within psychology, studying these populations connects mental health outcomes with developmental, social, environmental, and biological context. Researchers can examine how trauma, chronic stress, discrimination, limited resources, or genetic and developmental characteristics relate to specific concerns, while also asking which protective factors weaken those links. This approach supports a fuller account of risk than focusing on symptoms alone.