Mental and Behavioral Health

Frontline Interventions, Global Adoption

Emerging research in mental and behavioral health often centers around treating unseen and underserved populations, decreasing stigma in marginalized communities and creating more culturally responsive, and therefore efficacious, service delivery. We provide services and derive research through local portals such as the Healthy Development Community Clinic and partnerships with nationwide government and service units. Below is a rotating selection of our standout investigators in mental and behavioral health.

   ○ Recent News and Highlights
   ○ Research Strength: Health Disparities
   ○ Research Strength: Public Policy

• Selected Publications

  • Osterling K., D'Andrade, A., Austin, M., (2013). Understanding and addressing racial/ethnic disproportionality in the front end of the child welfare system. Evidence for Child Welfare Practice, Routledge.

    Lee, S., Hong, M., Casado, B., (2023). Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) knowledge in Korean Americans: Identifying knowledge gaps and misconceptions and examining predictors of AD knowledge. Ethnicity & Health, 28(3).

    Maffini, C., Paradis, G., Molthen, F. (2022). Integrating two families: Factors influencing relationship satisfaction among intercultural couples. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 53(2). 

    Mullen, E., and Monin, B. (2016). Consistency versus licensing effects of past moral behavior. Annual Review of Psychology 67.

    Ozer, E., Lavi, I., Douglas, L., Wolf, J., (2017). Protective factors for youth exposed to violence in their communities: A review of family, school, and community moderators. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology 46(3).

    Worthen, M., et al., (2019). The transformative and emancipatory potential of participatory evaluation: Reflections from a multi-methods participatory action research study with war-affected young mothers. Oxford Development Studies.

• Award Highlights

  • Maffini, “Healthy Development Community Clinic: Wellness for Children, Youth, & Families” —  Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Congressional Earmark, 2021

    Maffini, Pham, Mahendra, Capriotti, “Healthy Development Community Clinic: Wellness for Children, Youth, & Families” — NIH, 2022

    Wolf, "Changes in Alcohol Use and Harsh Parenting during COVID-19" — The Ohio State University, 2022

    Worthen, De Bourbon, "SCC-CIVIC-FA Track B: Participatory Action Research to Enhance Equity and Prevent Moral Injury in Community Paramedicine" — NSF, 2023

• Affiliates

  • CSU Social Science Research and Instructional Center

    Healthy Development Community Clinic

    Human Rights Institute

Featured Faculty

Amy D'Andrade
Professor of Social Work
Human-Robot Interaction and Collaboration, Simulation, 
AI, Automation and Industrial Internet of Things, 
Human-Machine Interface, Machine Learning, Optimization
ORCID: 0000-0002-7803-9592

Sang Lee
Professor of Social Work
Alzheimer's Disease, Dementia, Disease Knowledge, Culture, Caregiving, Help-Seeking, Older Immigrants and Their Families, Korean Americans
ORCID: 0000-0002-2465-328X

Cara Maffini
Associate Professor of Child and Adolescent Development
Race; Culture; Trauma; Mental Health; Community-Centered, Culturally-Sustaining, Evidence-Based Preventive Intervention; Health Equity
ORCID: 0000-0002-4286-5040

Elizabeth Mullen
Associate Professor of Management
Justice, Ethics
ORCID: 0000-0002-4524-6931

Jennifer Price Wolf
Associate Professor of Social Work
Child Maltreatment, Alcohol Abuse, Alcohol Use
ORCID: 0000-0002-0597-5486

Miranda Worthen
Professor of Public Health and Recreation
Participatory Action Research, Moral Injury, Alternative Response Programs, Mental Health
ORCID: 0000-0002-6494-7098

Potential collaborators and members of the media may contact us at officeofresearch@sjsu.edu.