Yang Li

• PhD
• Professor (Assistant) at University of Texas at Austin

Background Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant public health concern, particularly in vulnerable populations such as Chinese immigrant women. Aim This study aimed to assess the feasibility and acceptability of an empowerment-based intervention integrated with relaxation and self-compassion techniques for Chinese immigrant women experi...

Introduction A critical gap exists in understanding stressors and coping that affect women's health beyond 6 weeks postpartum. Using new stressor and coping scales tailored to postpartum women, we examined the relationship of postpartum‐specific stressors and coping to women's physical and mental health between 2 to 22 months after childbirth. Met...

Background Vicarious trauma can significantly affect the physical and mental health of nurses, as well as their ability to provide quality of care. However, the concept of vicarious trauma has received limited attention and remains controversial in the nursing context. Objective The purpose of this study was to clarify and define the concept of vi...

Chinese immigrant survivors of men’s violence experience both significant mental health impacts from abuse and barriers to formal services. Therefore, we examined the preliminary efficacy of an innovative mobile-based empowerment-based intervention (self-compassion, health, and empowerment; SHE) that specifically focuses on abused Chinese immigrant...

Background Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is a promising intervention for improving mental health. However, there is limited evidence on its effectiveness for nurses, particularly in web- and mobile-based intervention forms, in mitigating anxiety and depression symptoms. Objective In this study, we aimed to examine the effect and underlyi...

BACKGROUND Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is a promising intervention for improving mental health. However, there is limited evidence on its effectiveness for nurses, particularly in web- and mobile-based intervention forms, in mitigating anxiety and depression symptoms. OBJECTIVE In this study, we aimed to examine the effect and underlyi...

Background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with an increased risk of depression and intimate partner violence (IPV). Social support and partner support may help explain this association. Few researchers have focused on Chinese immigrant women, who are less likely than native-born women to seek help for mental health challenges...

Objectives: Although suicide is a major public health problem, little research has addressed factors linked to suicide risk in U.S. Asian ethnic subgroups, including the U.S. Chinese population. In this study, we investigate the relationship between racial discrimination and suicidal ideation among Chinese immigrants in the U.S., as well as the med...

Infant neglect is a common type of child maltreatment. According to the Social Information Processing theory, maternal executive function (EF) and reflective function (RF) are assumed to be important contributing factors to infant neglect. However, empirical evidence about this assumption is sparse. This was a cross-sectional study. A total of 1010...

Chinese immigrant survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) in the United States have been overlooked and underserved. The purpose of this study was to explore their perceptions of resources for assistance as well as their priority needs. We conducted phone interviews with 20 Chinese immigrant women who had experienced IPV in the past year. The...

Background Cognitive reserve is a modifiable factor that could prevent cognitive decline in patients with cancer. The Cognitive Reserve Assessment Scale in Health (CRASH) is an instrument used to assess cognitive reserve. This study aims to develop and examine the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the CRASH for patients with cancer....

Objective To synthesize the effect size of early-life home environment on children's cognitive function and investigate the effect difference between full-term and preterm children. Methods Literature was searched from five databases (PubMed, Web of Science, PsycInfo, CINAHL, and Scopus). Studies with primary data, early-life home environment as t...

Backgrounds Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) delivered via the Internet become increasingly popular for improving maternal mental health, but the effectiveness of internet-delivered MBIs (iMBIs) is still unclear. Methods PubMed, PsycINFO, Embase, Scopus, CINAHL, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched. We included st...

Nurses experience a high incidence of workplace bullying and are at a higher risk of suicide than the general population. However, there is no empirical evidence on how exposure to workplace bullying is associated with suicide ideation and attempts among nurses. Nurses were recruited from tertiary hospitals in Shandong Province, China, using strati...

Objectives This study aimed to develop a Chinese version of the brief Sleep-Associated Monitoring Index (SAMI-B), and examine its psychometric properties among pregnant women. Methods This cross-sectional study conveniently recruited 665 pregnant women from two tertiary hospitals in Shandong, China; 110 completed a retest survey within two or thre...

The current study aimed to investigate Chinese immigrants' sleep quality and associations between the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic's impact and racism and sleep disruption using a cross-sectional online survey. A total of 507 Chinese immigrants were recruited via social network sites. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to asses...

Background Maternal psychological distress could affect gut microbiota of the infant; however, previous studies to date have been observational. Objective To investigate the effects of mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) during pregnancy on the meconium microbiota of infants by alleviating maternal psychological distress. Design Randomized contr...

BACKGROUND Maternal psychological distress during pregnancy is associated with unfavorable infant outcomes. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) could effectively alleviate psychological distress, but there are often barriers to the access of face-to-face interventions. OBJECTIVE This study was to investigate the effectiveness of a digital guide...

Background Maternal psychological distress during pregnancy is associated with unfavorable outcomes in infants. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) can effectively alleviate psychological distress, but there are often barriers to the access of face-to-face interventions. Objective This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a digital g...

The aims of this study were: (a) to examine associations of oxytocin receptor gene ( OXTR ) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and dissociative symptoms and (b) to investigate gene–environment (G × E) interaction with childhood maltreatment. Salivary DNA samples from 228 women of European ancestry were...

Background: Immigrants comprise over 40% of the low-wage workforce. They are more likely to be employed in service industries, paid less, and experience more illness and injuries than their native counterparts. Design/objective: The aim of this cross-sectional pilot study was to explore the relationship between immigrant workers' stressors and h...

Introduction Chinese immigrants have faced tremendous health challenges during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of depression and anxiety and associated factors among Chinese immigrants in the United States. Methodology This is a cross-sectional study conducted online. Sociodemographic,...

Objective: Very little research has been conducted on intimate partner violence (IPV) against Chinese immigrant women living in the United States, including qualitative explorations of the lived experiences of IPV among Chinese immigrant survivors. This study presents Chinese immigrant women’s experiences of IPV and its mental health consequences,...

Objective: Immigrant women are vulnerable to intimate partner violence (IPV), and differences in immigration history, language, and culture impact their trauma responses. Although Chinese are the largest Asian immigrant subgroup in the U.S., little IPV research has specifically focused on this population. Therefore, we aimed to gain a better under...

PurposeThis study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the 10-item and 2-item Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), the agreement between these two versions, and the measurement invariance of the CD-RISC-10 across genders in Chinese infertile couples.MethodsA total of 170 infertile couples were enrolled from an infertility outpati...

STUDY QUESTION Are there any gender differences and dyadic interactions in the associations between infertility-related stress and resilience and posttraumatic growth in infertile couples? SUMMARY ANSWER Husbands’ posttraumatic growth was only impacted by their own infertility-related stress and resilience, whereas wives’ posttraumatic growth was...

Aims To investigate the prevalence and risk factors of intimate partner violence among Chinese immigrant women residing in the USA. Design A cross‐sectional study using the online survey approach. Methods A total of 475 Chinese immigrant women were recruited online between April–June 2019. We measured past year intimate partner violence, sociodem...

Allostatic load (AL) is the manifestation of cumulative responses to chronic stress exposure. Numerous studies have shown the importance of AL in understanding disease risks. Yet little is known about existing interventions that target AL specifically. We aimed to address this gap by identifying interventions targeting AL and determine the success...

This study described the frequency of different adverse childhood experience (ACE) types described by women with recent IPV and examined the effects of each ACE type on women’s mental health. Over 70% of women reported parental separation or divorce, over 40% reported childhood sexual assault, and around 40% had a mother who was treated violently....

Objectives: Previous studies investigated the physical, psychological and sociological effects of infertility; however, stigma and violence experiences of infertile women haven’t yet been studied in the US. The objective of the study is to examine the perceived stress, stigma, violence experiences, and social support of US infertile women and to co...

Background/Purpose Mothers of adolescents in residential treatment (RT) experience the highest rates of intimate partner violence (IPV; emotional, physical, and/or sexual abuse by a partner or ex-partner) in the child welfare system. Few studies have investigated the intersection of IPV and parenting in the context of RT. The purpose of this study...

Background: The theory of allostatic load has gained momentum in perinatal research to understand the biological pathways of the impact of maternal chronic stress on adverse perinatal outcomes. However, due to physiological changes of pregnancy, including large variations across gestation, the extent to which allostatic load measured in pregnancy...

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) affects 1 in 3 US women with the effects of IPV detectable for several generations. While IPV is known to have significant impacts on maternal-child outcomes, little is known about the mother's perspectives of the interplay between perinatal IPV exposure, parenting styles, and safety strategies. Methods...

Aims To determine the optimal allostatic load scoring method. Design This is a secondary analysis of data on women of reproductive age from the 2001‐2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Methods We created allostatic load summary scores using five scoring methods including the count‐based, Z‐Score, logistic regression, factor ana...

Executive impairments have been observed both in patients with schizophrenia and in their unaffected first-degree relatives. Very few studies have investigated neurocognitive subgroups in unaffected first-degree relatives and in healthy participants using data-driven methods. The study included a high-risk group consisting of 100 unaffected young o...

Background: Trauma has significant effects on individuals' health. Nurses are well-positioned to deliver trauma-informed care; however, there is a lack of trauma nursing education. The development of trauma education in nursing is just beginning; therefore, it is unclear what details should be integrated into nursing courses. Method: CINAHL, Psy...

Hotel housekeepers are exposed to stressors at work and outside of work. Little is known about these workers' pathophysiological responses to those stressors. Allostatic load is a concept increasingly used to understand pathophysiologic manifestations of individuals' bodily response to stress. The purpose of this study was to examine the associatio...

Early trauma can increase the risk for developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adulthood. Early trauma has also been associated with the dysregulation between the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) and oxytocin systems and may influence the co-regulation between these two systems. But whether the mutual regulation of the two systems re...

Background: Adverse birth outcomes such as preterm birth and low birth weight are significant public health concerns and contribute to neonatal morbidity and mortality. Studies have increasingly been exploring the predictive effects of maternal posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on adverse birth outcomes. However, the biological mechanisms by wh...

This study explored the relationship between effort-reward imbalance (ERI) at work and work productivity among hotel housekeepers. A community-based approach was used to recruit 23 hotel housekeepers who completed the ERI and Work Performance Questionnaires. Work productivity was determined by combining self-report absenteeism and presenteeism. Mor...

Objective: To test the hypothesis that women with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have greater salivary cortisol levels across the diurnal curve and throughout gestation, birth, and the postpartum period than women who do not have PTSD. Design: Prospective, longitudinal, biobehavioral cohort study. Setting: Prenatal clinics at academic he...

Background: Studies of the relationship between cortisol and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have had inconsistent results. Gender, trauma type, and age at trauma exposure may explain the inconsistencies. Objective: The objective of the review was to examine cortisol levels in relation to PTSD in women with a history of child maltreatment t...

Aims and objectives: The study aimed to report changes in the prevalence of depression and the level of social support at three different time points in the perinatal period (late pregnancy, one week postpartum and four weeks postpartum) and to examine the relationship between depression and social support at these points in time. Background: So...

Aims and objectives: To elucidate the historical development of the allostatic load concept, alongside its use in nursing research, and to explore how allostatic load has been investigated among two stress-vulnerable populations. Background: 'Stress' is a prominent term in understanding the development of disease. Allostatic load is among severa...

Existing research is limited, with only a few studies considering each single type and multiple types of child maltreatment (CM) as well as multiple assessments of maternal depression throughout the perinatal period. The purpose of the study was to assess each type and accumulative types of CM in relation to the risk of maternal depression througho...

To explore the roles of attachment and alexithymia in the severity of post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms and to specify the relationship between sub-dimensions of attachment, alexithymia and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in patients with first-time myocardial infarction in mainland China. Patients experiencing myocardial infarction ha...

Objective Clinical reports have shown that adjuvant chemotherapy has a negative impact on perceived cognitive impairment (PCI) of patients with breast cancer; however, evidence concerning the effects of psychological factors such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms on PCI is limited, especially in relation to Chinese patients with bre...

Objective: This study sought to examine specific executive deficits in the real-life environment among adolescents genetically at high risk for schizophrenia and understand the role of the genetic risk, victimization and family functioning, and their interaction on the deficits. Methods: The study included 96 non-affected adolescent offspring an...

This study sought to characterize executive dysfunctions in poly-victimized students without posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and the relationship between neuropsychological and behavioral rating measures of executive functions (EFs). Based on self-report data of exposure to victimization and PTSD symptoms, 259 junior college students...

Multiple types of victimization or poly-victimization (PV) can occur simultaneously during childhood, resulting in outcomes that are detrimental and difficult to reverse. Very few studies have focused on PV in Chinese adolescents. The present study is based on information collected from a stratified cluster sample of 1,561 females and 1,594 males a...