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 Health
Biography
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 TermSecondarySchool of Nursing
Associate Professor on TermSecondary
Other Departments & Organizations
- Climate Change and Health
- Psychiatry
- School of Nursing
- Social and Behavioral Sciences
- Trauma and Mental Health (TMH) Lab
- WHRY Pilot Project Program Investigators
- Women's Health Research at Yale
- Wu Tsai Institute
- Yale Institute for Global Health
- Yale School of Public Health - NEW
- Yale Stress Center
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 Research Interests
Public Health Interests
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
Katie Wang, PhD
Martin Slade, MPH, PhD
Michelle L. Bell, PhD
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
Disasters
Resilience, Psychological
Anxiety Disorders
Mental Disorders
Mental Health Services
Publications
2024
Ableism in Mental Healthcare Settings: A Qualitative Study Among U.S. Adults with Disabilities
Wang K, Ostrove J, Manning R, Fodero S, Ash S, Whang J, Bogart K, Cipollina R, Nario-Redmond M, Adler J, Lowe S. Ableism in Mental Healthcare Settings: A Qualitative Study Among U.S. Adults with Disabilities. SSM - Qualitative Research In Health 2024, 6: 100498. DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmqr.2024.100498.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMental health servicesMental healthcare settingsHealth servicesHealthcare settingsU.S. adultsUnmet mental health serviceMental health researchMental health concernsReflexive thematic analysisImpact of disabilityExperiences of PWDSemi-structured interviewsAccessing careHealth researchEnvironmental barriersMental healthInterpersonal processesMedical traumaThematic analysisQualitative studyDisability knowledgeNondisabled counterpartsPWDHealth concernDisabilityChildhood Trauma as a Mediator of Intergenerational PTSD Symptom Transmission in Rwanda: A Cross-Sectional Study
Huang A, Bonumwezi J, Wang K, Mew E, Habintwali D, Lowe S. Childhood Trauma as a Mediator of Intergenerational PTSD Symptom Transmission in Rwanda: A Cross-Sectional Study. Journal Of Loss And Trauma 2024, ahead-of-print: 1-24. DOI: 10.1080/15325024.2024.2422610.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPTSD symptomsChildhood traumaParental sexSexual abuseChildhood trauma subtypesMaternal PTSD symptomsCumulative childhood traumaHarsh parenting practicesIntergenerational traumaTrauma subtypesChildhood maltreatmentPhysical neglectParenting practicesPhysical abuseIntergenerational transmissionPTSDAbuseIndirect effectsAdult childrenSymptomsGenocide survivorsChildhoodCross-sectional studyOnline surveyParentsBeyond the Storms: Exploring Predictors of Posttraumatic Stress and Posttraumatic Growth among Survivors of Hurricanes Irma and Maria in Puerto Rico
Meadows M, Serino N, Camacho-Monclova D, Joshipura K, Lowe S. Beyond the Storms: Exploring Predictors of Posttraumatic Stress and Posttraumatic Growth among Survivors of Hurricanes Irma and Maria in Puerto Rico. The Journal Of Climate Change And Health 2024, 100365. DOI: 10.1016/j.joclim.2024.100365.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsDisaster-related exposurePosttraumatic growth subscalesPosttraumatic growthAssociated with higher levelsPosttraumatic stressPosttraumatic growth domainsHealth impactsMental health outcomesAppreciation of lifeMental health ailmentsPredictors of posttraumatic stressHealth outcomesAssociated with greater identificationPuerto RicansDisaster exposureStructured interviewsPuerto Rican contextHome damageHigher levelsPuerto RicoMultivariate modelSpiritual growthDisaster-affected communitiesSocial factorsHealth ailmentsCommunity perspectives on adolescent mental health stigma in American Samoa
Blas V, Mew E, Winschel J, Hunt L, Soliai Lemusu S, Lowe S, Naseri J, Toelupe R, Hawley N, McCutchan-Tofaeono J. Community perspectives on adolescent mental health stigma in American Samoa. PLOS Mental Health 2024, 1: e0000080. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmen.0000080.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsMental health stigmaHealth stigmaSelf-stigma of mental illnessLevels of mental health stigmaMental illness-related stigmaMental health care accessIllness-related stigmaHealth care accessMental health burdenMental health servicesStigmatization of mental healthMental health needsSocio-ecological modelMental health challengesMental health concernsMental health stigmatizationOnline focus groupsAmerican SamoaCare accessSelf-stigmaPerceived stigmatizationHealth needsHealth servicesMental illnessMental healthSexual 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 ResearchCitationsConceptsInternal 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 interviewsHelp-Seeking Preferences and Influencing Factors Among Chinese Nurses Exposed to COVID-19: A Person-Centered Approach
Wu Z, Shi W, Chen Y, Lowe S, Liu J. Help-Seeking Preferences and Influencing Factors Among Chinese Nurses Exposed to COVID-19: A Person-Centered Approach. Journal Of Community Health Nursing 2024, 41: 273-285. PMID: 38368504, DOI: 10.1080/07370016.2024.2314076.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsHelp-seeking preferencesHelp-seeking intentionsChinese nursesPerceived social supportSocial supportPerson-centered approachLogistic regressionReduce mental illnessMental health servicesOnline mental health servicesCareer durationMedia exposurePsychological help-seeking intentionsCross-sectional designSocial media exposureSampled nursesHealth servicesMental illnessNursesPublic health emergencyHelp-seekingPerson-centeredCOVID-19 preventionLatent class analysisCOVID-19Long-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 models
Academic Achievements & Community Involvement
activity Connecticut Governor's Council on Climate Change (GC3)
Peer Review Groups and Grant Study SectionsMemberDetails06/01/2020 - Presentactivity Scientific Oversight Committee, Aliso Canyon Disaster Health Research Study
Peer Review Groups and Grant Study SectionsMemberDetails2020 - 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
News
News
- December 03, 2024
Ableism cited as major barrier to mental health care for people with disabilities
- 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