Dear UCI Community,

This month we have an opportunity to shed light on both mental health and Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) heritage. In recent years, mental health awareness has become an increasingly important topic, particularly in communities that have traditionally shied away from the stigma of openly discussing mental health issues, such as the AANHPI community.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Asian Americans are three times less likely to seek mental health services than their White counterparts, and suicide is the fifth leading cause of death among Asian Americans aged 15-24. This fact is why mental health is a public health issue.

Several UCI Public Health experts have dedicated their research to revealing the cause and scope of mental health and health disparities within the AANHPI populations. A universal theme is that research often aggregates AANHPIs together in one group. This becomes a problem because it masks the significant inter- and intra-racial heterogeneity among the subgroups, as explained by Sora Park Tanjasiri.

In an analysis of the 2020 U.S. Census count, Brittany Morey revealed that the collection and reporting of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders’ health data at the federal and state levels are virtually non-existent showcasing how systemic health disparities can be.

Annie Ro found that undocumented Asian and Pacific Islander young adults battle with depression can be traced to isolation around their immigration status. Finally, featured below, doctoral student Michael Huynh explored the prevalence of psychological distress and unmet mental health needs during the COVID-19 pandemic within the AANHPI community.

Both Mental Health Awareness Month and AANHPI Heritage Month give us an important opportunity to break down the stigma surrounding mental health and promote awareness, education, and understanding. By recognizing the unique challenges that Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders face when it comes to mental health, we can work towards creating a culture of support and understanding within our communities.

It is important to remember that seeking help for mental health issues is a sign of strength, and that everyone deserves access to culturally and linguistically appropriate mental health care.

Sincerely,

Bernadette Boden-Albala, MPH, DrPH Director and Founding Dean UCI Program in Public Health

Voices from the Margins: An exploration of Asian American mental health experiences

Doctoral student Michael Huynh analyzed the prevalence of psychological distress and unmet mental health needs among Asian/Asian American adults during the COVID-19 pandemic across various sociodemographic subgroups.

Cannabis use in adolescent years may create reproductive complications in women

Ulrike Luderer, MD, PhD, MPH, led study to determine how cannabis and its THC component shown to deplete ovarian egg cells in mice models by 50 percent.

Pacific Northwest record temps in 2021 caused adverse health outcomes

Tim Bruckner, MPH, PhD, co-authored a study that analyzed the connection between all time high temperatures in PNW region and higher than expected drownings, traffic accidents, assaults, and suicides.

Community-capacity building in the wake of California’s devastating wildfires

Suellen Hopfer, MS, PhD, receives grant to collaborate with the Communities for a New California Education Fund to create a webinar series and share evidence-based data on place-based impacts by wildfire in the San Joaquin Valley.

Getting better results with “GET” therapy for young adult testicular cancer survivors

Michael Hoyt, PhD, led a UCI collaboration that showed cancer survivors who received Goal-focused Emotion-regulation Therapy (GET) showed signs of less depression and anxiety.

RESEARCH ROUND-UP

Lari Wenzel, MS, PhD, co-authored a study that will help inform public health interventions on messaging around fear of recurrence among ovarian cancer survivors since it has severely increased emotional distress. Full study link.

Denise Payán, PhD, co-authored a study that investigated the impact of COVID-19 disruptions to formula supply and income on infant food security and feeding practices in the U.S. Full study link.

Veronica Vieria, DSc, was a co-author along with a UCI alumni, on a study connecting fertility-assisted births and levels of PM2.5 exposure in Massachusetts. Findings were not able to connect local traffic-related air pollution which may be indicative of incomplete adjustment due to individual level SES or access to fertility treatment centers. Full study link.

Jun Wu, PhD, was the co-corresponding author on a study that connected harmful heat exposure to spontaneous premature rupture of membranes which is dangerous for the mother and their offspring. Findings also noted that younger mothers with lower socioeconomic status have higher heat-related PROM risks. Full study link.

Saurabh Chatterjee, MSc, PhD, corresponding author and his doctoral student, Madhura Pravin More, published a study connecting the exposure to cyanobacterial harmful algal bloom to the gut-liver-brain axis and increase in disease outcomes. Full study link.

UCI IN THE MEDIA

New COVID-19 strain: What to know about 'Arcturus' (Bernadette Boden-Albala, PhD)

Be wary of unproven eye drop treatment with amniotic fluid, FDA says (Leigh Turner, PhD)

Study Finds Sleeping Pill Can Reduce Proteins Linked to Alzheimer's Disease (Bruce Albala, PhD)

The Dangers of PFAS (Scott Bartell, MS, PhD)

Mosquito season just got worse; here’s what you need to know (Daniel Parker, PhD)

Millions Will Lose Medicaid When COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Ends (Brandy Lipton, PhD)

There's a second outbreak of Marburg virus in Africa. Climate change could be a factor (Dele Ogunseitan, PhD)

More UCI Public Health in the Media

SEEN AND HEARD

Dean Bernadette Boden-Albala, DrPH, was honored by Congressman Lou Correa of the 46th Congressional District as one of their 2023 Women of the Year. Boden-Albala has made a tremendous impact in the city of Santa Ana, which is part of Correa's district, through her COVID-19 response strategies and health equity leadership.

At the 14th Annual Consortium of Universities for Global Health, Oladele Ogunseitan, PhD, professor of population health and disease prevention, received an honorable mention award for his story of applying an environmental justice lens to the problem of waste from discarded electronics in Accra, Ghana.

At the annual Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health meeting in March, Dean Boden-Albala participated in a panel discussion on how academic public health institutions are addressing climate change and health. Dean Boden-Albala shared the innovative steps the UC system, UCI and our UCI faculty and students have taken in our shared efforts to build a sustainable future.

The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities invited Dean Boden-Albala to share her expertise on strategies towards inclusive participation in the clinical research enterprise for their two day workshop to increase inclusive participation in clinical research.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHTS

Improving health through nutrition-centric education and awareness

Reina Obeid, 2nd year MPH, led the creation and launch of a virtual patient education workshop focused on plant-based cooking skills to promote healthier eating habits as part of her practicum experience.

Environmental health sciences doctoral students shine at the Society of Toxicology’s Annual Meeting

Doctoral students with the Chatterjee Lab were recognized for their scholarly achievements at the 2023 Annual Society of Toxicology Meeting, which brings together researchers from around the world to collaborate and learn the best practices and emerging research on toxicology.

ALUMNI & FRIENDS

Alumni Spotlight: Tamara Jimah, PhD '20

UCI Public Health alumna, Tamara Jimah, PhD ‘20, joins Northeastern University's Bouve College of Health Sciences as a tenure-track faculty member. She hopes to continue collaborations at UCI and developing new projects with colleagues worldwide.