Sarah Lowe, PhD
Associate Professor of Public Health (Social and Behavioral Sciences), Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Associate Clinical Professor of NursingCards
Appointments
Additional Titles
Affiliated Faculty, Yale Institute for Global Health
Contact Info
Appointments
Additional Titles
Affiliated Faculty, Yale Institute for Global Health
Contact Info
Appointments
Additional Titles
Affiliated Faculty, Yale Institute for Global Health
Contact Info
About
Titles
Associate Professor of Public Health (Social and Behavioral Sciences), Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Associate Clinical Professor of Nursing
Affiliated Faculty, Yale Institute for Global HealthBiography
Sarah Lowe, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist and Associate Professor in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Yale School of Public Health, with secondary appointments in the Department of Psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine and Yale School of Nursing. Her research focuses on the long-term mental health consequences of a range of potentially traumatic events, as well as the impact of such events on other domains of functioning, such as physical health, social relationships, and economic wellbeing. Her work explores the mechanisms leading from trauma exposure to symptoms, and the role of factors at various ecological levels – from genetics to neighborhoods – in shaping risk and resilience. She uses a range of methodologies to achieve her research aims, including structural equation modeling, latent growth curve analysis, geospatial modeling, and qualitative analysis, among others. Dr. Lowe received her Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts Boston and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Psychiatric Epidemiology Training program at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.
Appointments
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Associate Professor on TermPrimaryPsychiatry
Associate Professor on TermSecondary
Other Departments & Organizations
Education & Training
- Postdoctoral fellow
- Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health (2014)
- Predoctoral fellow
- New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical College (2012)
- PhD
- University of Massachusetts Boston, Clinical Psychology (2012)
- MA
- University of Massachusetts Boston, Clinical Psychology (2008)
- AB
- Harvard University, Psychology (2003)
Research
Overview
Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
ORCID
0000-0001-9544-4234
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Publications Timeline
Research Interests
Rachel Hennein, MD/PhD
Emma Mew
Nicola Hawley, PhD
Martin Slade, MPH, PhD
Michelle L. Bell, PhD
Becca Levy, PhD
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
Disasters
Resilience, Psychological
Anxiety Disorders
Mental Disorders
Mental Health Services
Publications
2024
Sexual Victimization, Emotion Dysregulation, and Sexual Consent Feelings and Communication During a Recent Sexual Encounter
Walsh K, Lowe S, Ward S. Sexual Victimization, Emotion Dysregulation, and Sexual Consent Feelings and Communication During a Recent Sexual Encounter. The Journal Of Sex Research 2024, ahead-of-print: 1-9. PMID: 38940414, DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2024.2368044.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsInternal consentEmotion dysregulationSV historySexual violenceConsent cuesReduce sexual violenceOnline self-report surveyRegulation of emotionHistory of SVSexual victimizationAssociated with greater useSexual consentConsent programRegulate emotionsSelf-report surveyConsentSexual situationsSexual well-beingCollege studentsCommunication cuesEmotionsPath modelCuesGreater useSexual encountersIntergenerational trauma transmission through family psychosocial factors in adult children of Rwandan survivors of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi
Bonumwezi J, Grapin S, Uddin M, Coyle S, Habintwali D, Lowe S. Intergenerational trauma transmission through family psychosocial factors in adult children of Rwandan survivors of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. Social Science & Medicine 2024, 348: 116837. PMID: 38579628, DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.116837.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsFamily psychosocial factorsPsychosocial factorsDepressive symptomsChild PTSDMaternal PTSDAdverse mental health outcomesChildren of survivorsMaternal trauma exposureCross-sectional online surveyAssociated with child anxietyMental health outcomesPaternal parenting stylesIntergenerational trauma transmissionIntergenerational transmission of traumaParent-child dyadsHealth outcomesTrauma communicationFamily communication stylesSurvivor mothersTransmission of traumaPTSD symptomsTrauma exposureChild anxietyFamily communicationTrauma interventionsO le tagata ma lona aiga, o le tagata ma lona fa’asinomaga (Every person belongs to a family and every family belongs to a person): Development of a parenting framework for adolescent mental wellbeing in American Samoa
Mew E, Hunt L, Toelupe R, Blas V, Winschel J, Naseri J, Soliai-Lemusu S, Tofaeono J, Seui M, Ledoux-Sunia T, Sunia F, Reid A, Helsham D, Lowe S, Poulin R, Hawley N, McCutchan-Tofaeono J. O le tagata ma lona aiga, o le tagata ma lona fa’asinomaga (Every person belongs to a family and every family belongs to a person): Development of a parenting framework for adolescent mental wellbeing in American Samoa. Children And Youth Services Review 2024, 160: 107502. PMID: 38946713, PMCID: PMC11209950, DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2024.107502.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsPromote adolescent mental healthAdolescent mental healthAdolescent mental wellbeingMental health problemsMental healthMental wellbeingParenting programsPrevalence of mental health problemsCaregiver mental healthHealth problemsHealth system effortsPromote mental healthCommunity members' perspectivesSemi-structured in-depth interviewsHealthy coping strategiesAdolescent participantsSamoan communityFamily-based interventionsRegion of residenceAdult key informantsDeductive thematic analysisEvidence-based frameworkSemi-structured interviewsCommunity-partneredIn-depth interviewsLong-Term Courses of Posttraumatic Growth in Survivors of Hurricane Katrina
Preston J, Lowe S, Rhodes J. Long-Term Courses of Posttraumatic Growth in Survivors of Hurricane Katrina. Traumatology An International Journal 2024 DOI: 10.1037/trm0000497.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPosttraumatic growthAssociated with membershipIncreased PTGDecreasing PTGPosttraumatic growth trajectoriesPerceived social supportIncreased odds of membershipOdds of membershipStressor scoresPositive religious copingPsychosocial resourcesSocial supportSense of purposeSmall body of literaturePredisaster dataLow-incomeIncreased oddsFactors associated with stabilityBlack mothersReligious copingClinical interventionsTrauma eventsNeighborhood satisfactionSurvivorsTrauma survivorsNeighborhood-level economic characteristics and depression and PTSD symptoms among Houstonians who have experienced Hurricane Harvey and COVID-19
Cohen G, Wang R, Rosenberg S, Sampson L, Lowe S, Cabral H, Ruggiero K, Galea S. Neighborhood-level economic characteristics and depression and PTSD symptoms among Houstonians who have experienced Hurricane Harvey and COVID-19. Psychiatry Research 2024, 333: 115766. PMID: 38335779, PMCID: PMC10964477, DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2024.115766.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsAssociated with higher symptom scoresPosttraumatic stress disorderIncome inequalityMedian incomeNeighborhood socioeconomic contextNeighborhood socioeconomic factorsEconomic characteristicsIndividual-level exposuresNeighbourhood income inequalityNeighborhood median incomeRisk of depressionScores of depressionAmerican Community SurveyMass traumatic eventsSymptoms of depressionMental health consequencesMultilevel linear modelsTraumatic eventsSocioeconomic factorsScore of posttraumatic stress disorderSocioeconomic contextCommunity SurveyPosttraumatic stress disorder symptomsSuper neighborhoodsMultilevel modelsAssociations Between Religious Coping and Long-Term Mental Health in Survivors of Hurricane Katrina
Arkin M, Lowe S, Poon C, Rhodes J. Associations Between Religious Coping and Long-Term Mental Health in Survivors of Hurricane Katrina. Psychology Of Religion And Spirituality 2024, 16: 63-71. DOI: 10.1037/rel0000483.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsConceptsNegative religious copingPositive religious copingMental health outcomesReligious copingLong-term mental healthAdverse mental health outcomesOngoing longitudinal studyWaves of dataReligious coping stylesMental health treatmentSignificant predictorsPosttraumatic growthPosttraumatic stressHurricane Katrina survivorsCoping stylesHealth outcomesCopingLongitudinal relationshipHealth treatmentMental healthLongitudinal studyKatrina survivorsFuture researchKatrina (RISK) ProjectMental health institutionsA systematic review of the effects of chronic, slow-onset climate change on mental health
Burrows K, Denckla C, Hahn J, Schiff J, Okuzono S, Randriamady H, Mita C, Kubzansky L, Koenen K, Lowe S. A systematic review of the effects of chronic, slow-onset climate change on mental health. Nature Mental Health 2024, 2: 228-243. DOI: 10.1038/s44220-023-00170-5.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsMental healthNon-specific psychological distressAdverse mental health outcomesMental health indicatorsMental health outcomesMental health effectsMixed-methods studyMental health consequencesAnxiety symptomsHealth outcomesPsychological distressHealth indicatorsNegative emotionsQualitative studyCausal pathwaysNull findingsSystematic reviewSocietal factorsHealthQuantitative studyAnxietyDepressionSuicideEmotionsWeather-related disastersMentoring relationships
Rhodes J, Lowe S, Schwartz S, Jasman M. Mentoring relationships. 2024, 257-266. DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-323-96023-6.00060-9.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2023
Secondary Posttraumatic Growth in Children of Survivors of the 1994 Genocide: The Role of Childhood Trauma, Posttraumatic Stress, and Meaning-Making
Kshtriya S, Bonumwezi J, Habintwali D, Lowe S. Secondary Posttraumatic Growth in Children of Survivors of the 1994 Genocide: The Role of Childhood Trauma, Posttraumatic Stress, and Meaning-Making. Traumatology An International Journal 2023 DOI: 10.1037/trm0000487.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSecondary posttraumatic growthPosttraumatic growthPTS symptomsChildhood traumatic experiencesChildren of survivorsTraumatic experiencesParental posttraumatic stress symptomsPosttraumatic stress symptomsMeaning-making interventionsSignificant indirect pathwayPosttraumatic stressStress symptomsChild psychopathologyChildhood traumaLongitudinal researchPath analysisAdequate fitCurrent studyOnline surveyIndirect pathwaysChildrenStrong linkRwandan childrenSurvivor organizationsVicarious Racism, Direct Racism, and Mental Health Among Racialized Minority Healthcare Workers
Hennein R, Tiako M, Bonumwezi J, Tineo P, Boatright D, Crusto C, Lowe S. Vicarious Racism, Direct Racism, and Mental Health Among Racialized Minority Healthcare Workers. Journal Of Racial And Ethnic Health Disparities 2023, 1-14. PMID: 37935947, DOI: 10.1007/s40615-023-01844-7.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitations
Academic Achievements and Community Involvement
activity Member
Peer Review Groups and Grant Study SectionsConnecticut Governor's Council on Climate Change (GC3)Details06/01/2020 - Presentactivity Member
Peer Review Groups and Grant Study SectionsScientific Oversight Committee, Aliso Canyon Disaster Health Research StudyDetails2020 - Presenthonor Award for Outstanding Contribution to Trauma Psychology by an Early Career Psychologist
National AwardAmerican Psychological Association Division 56 (Trauma Psychology)Details08/30/2022United Stateshonor Robins/Guze Early Career Award
National AwardAmerican Psychopathological AssociationDetails04/01/2021United Stateshonor Wendy U. and Thomas C. Naratil Pioneer Award
Yale School of Medicine AwardYale Women’s Health Research ProgramDetails10/01/2020United States
Links & Media
News
- August 19, 2024
Very hot weather is hazardous to your health, but there are ways to stay safe
- July 19, 2024
2024 Hecht Award Recipient Announced
- June 06, 2024
Communication and parenting styles are important when addressing intergenerational trauma
- May 16, 2024
Climate Change and Mental Health: Thinking Beyond Disasters