Editor's Note: Opportunities for Behavioral Medicine Impact in 2021 and Beyond

Crystal Lumpkins, PhD; Editor, Outlook

Crystal Lumpkins, PhD

Happy New Year! With the start of 2021 and recent elections, it seems befitting to begin the year with a special themed section in Outlook that reflects the current political climate of our nation and what may lie ahead. Not every issue of Outlook will highlight policy and or COVID-19 however with the surge in cases, the rollout of vaccinations and other issues that will continue to evolve, there is sure to be one or two articles that will include these issues and hit home for SBM membership.

The recent 2020 Presidential and Senatorial election races and most recent run-off election for two US Senate seats in Georgia, will have significant impact on a wide range of Behavioral Health issues and therefore health policy and behavior outcome. In this issue, SBM members share their perspectives on what impact the elections may have on Behavioral Medicine and Behavioral Science. Members also will discuss vaccinophobia in the midst of a series of COVID-19 vaccine roll outs where nearly 5 million have received the first of two doses. Questions remain however about decision making and who, why and how individuals will decide to get the vaccine or not. Chronicled here also in this issue of Outlook is the significance of galvanizing organizations to build capability and capacity to address the obesity epidemic. COVID-19 has also further exacerbated the obesity epidemic among children and their families causing the gap to further widen and increase risk. Further, members also write about the intentional inclusion of diversity as a necessary ingredient for a strong health technology workforce and why this will facilitate digital innovation. Untapped opportunities in Clinical Research are also outlined for Behavioral Scientists and Psychologists in addition to the ins and outs of starting a Clinical Practice. Finally, we’d like to congratulate our newly-formed Multiple Health Behavior Change and Multi-Morbidities (MHBCM). Here’s to a fruitful collaborative and productive first year! In the spirit of the New Year we’d also like to encourage you to support SBM during its Proven Science, Better Health giving campaign. You may go here for further details.