Research

Descriptions of my latest research projects and findings appear below

Witnessing potentially traumatic events is linked to poor mental health

My recent publication found that witnessing racial discrimination contributed to trauma symptoms beyond the effect of direct discrimination
Another recent publication found consistent links in the literature between witnessing discrimination and elevated risk for witness depression, anxiety, trauma-related symptoms, poor sleep, and behavioral disorders (e.g., substance use disorder)
My paper under review found that among U.S. college students, witnessing distressing on-campus events was linked to increased depression. Pro-social campus climate buffered against this risk.
Through funding from The Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, I am interviewing young adults to understand their responses to witnessing distressing online content and how these responses are linked to mental health symptoms
I have a K23 grant application under review at NIMH that aims to identify pathways - such as risk and protective factors - that connect witnessing distressing online content to mental disorders

Our research uncovered that for college students experiencing suicide symptoms during the pandemic, treatment was lower than expected. Past treatment was the biggest predictor of future help-seeking intention
I observed a similar pattern in an older sample of young adults and identified structural (e.g., lack of funds) and attitude (e.g., thinking symptoms were not serious enough for treatment) barriers to help-seeking for suicide symptoms
We also found that sexual minority college students display higher help-seeking willingness than others, signaling a resilience factor
My paper (currently under review) found that college students are likely to rely on blended formal (e.g., psychotherapy) and informal treatment (e.g., self-guided digital apps), suggesting important directions for tailoring support
AI may transform the therapeutic landscape, but there are no guardrails for AI systems to refer high-risk individuals to emergency services. We are developing an NIH grant proposal to compare AI-based and human mental health support

I published a model of anti-racism development in White youth, which includes learning about racism and racial identity, feeling empathy, and engaging in behaviors that counteract racism
In a more recent paper, witnessing racism, high tolerance for distress, and feeling impacted by the social climate predicted more anti-racist behaviors in White young adults during the pandemic
I presented my research about an anti-racism educational program for White families at the Society for Research in Child Development 2025 meeting

Racial disparities in sleep contribute to broad health inequities. My recent papers under review and in progress link vicarious racism to witnesses’ sleep problems
Collaborating with public health researchers, we propose that a societal-level decrease in youths' sense of safety is a social determinant of health disparities. In our publication, we identify a sense of safety as a modifiable cognitive-affective process that can bolster or impede youth well-being