Sarah Lowe, PhD
Associate Professor of Public Health (Social and Behavioral Sciences), Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Associate Clinical Professor of NursingDownloadHi-Res Photo
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Affiliated Faculty, Yale Institute for Global Health
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Appointments
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Affiliated Faculty, Yale Institute for Global Health
Contact Info
Appointments
Additional Titles
Affiliated Faculty, Yale Institute for Global Health
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About
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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.
Last Updated on April 07, 2025.
Appointments
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Associate Professor on TermPrimaryPsychiatry
Associate Professor on TermSecondarySchool of Nursing
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 Research Interests
Anxiety Disorders; Disaster Victims; Disasters; Exposure to Violence; Gender-Based Violence; Genetics, Behavioral; Mental Disorders; Mental Health Services; Mood Disorders; Psychiatry and Psychology; Psychological Phenomena; Psychological Trauma; Psychology, Clinical; Resilience, Psychological; Rwanda; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; Stress Disorders, Traumatic, Acute; Substance-Related Disorders; Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders
Public Health Interests
Environmental Health; COVID-19; Climate Change; Behavioral Health; Infectious Diseases; Preparedness; Global Health; Health Equity, Disparities, Social Determinants and Justice; Community Health; Mental Health
ORCID
0000-0001-9544-4234
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Frequent collaborators of Sarah Lowe's published research.
Publications Timeline
A big-picture view of Sarah Lowe's research output by year.
Research Interests
Research topics Sarah Lowe is interested in exploring.
Emma Mew
Rachel Hennein, MD, PhD
Nicola Hawley, PhD
Katie Wang, PhD
Martin Slade, MPH, PhD
Michelle L. Bell, PhD
77Publications
1,781Citations
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
Disasters
Resilience, Psychological
Anxiety Disorders
Mental Disorders
Mental Health Services
Publications
2025
Trajectories of Major Depression and Generalized Anxiety Symptoms Among People With Disabilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Lowe S, Fan J, Michel C, Manning R, Adler J, Bogart K, Nario-Redmond M, Ostrove J, Wang K. Trajectories of Major Depression and Generalized Anxiety Symptoms Among People With Disabilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic. American Journal Of Orthopsychiatry 2025 PMID: 40338598, DOI: 10.1037/ort0000855.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsGeneralized anxiety disorderGeneralized anxiety disorder symptomsSymptom trajectoriesSocial isolationDisability stigmaGeneralized anxiety symptomsPredictors of trajectory membershipLatent class growth analysisPandemic-related stressorsAnxiety disordersMajor depressionAnxiety symptomsOdds of membershipTraumatic eventsPersistent MDHigher social isolationTrajectory membershipLongitudinal studyDisability characteristicsDisabilityDepressionSymptomsGeneral populationGrowth analysisPredictorsEmbracing complexity in resilience research
Lowe S. Embracing complexity in resilience research. Nature Mental Health 2025, 3: 391-392. DOI: 10.1038/s44220-025-00403-9.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricFloods and cause-specific mortality in the United States applying a triply robust approach
Chu L, Warren J, Spatz E, Lowe S, Lu Y, Ma X, Ross J, Krumholz H, Chen K. Floods and cause-specific mortality in the United States applying a triply robust approach. Nature Communications 2025, 16: 2853. PMID: 40122917, PMCID: PMC11930965, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-58236-0.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsCDC's National Center for Health StatisticsNational Center for Health StatisticsCause-specific mortality ratesCenter for Health StatisticsCause-specific mortalityHealth impacts of floodingExcess all-cause deathsLong-term health risksFlood daysLong-term associationDeath recordsHealth StatisticsConfounder adjustmentExternal causesStorm Events DatabaseAll-cause deathHealth impactsImpact of floodsPropensity scorePost‐flood yearMortality rateMyocardial infarctionPost-floodContiguous U.S.Respiratory diseaseWeathering the Storm: Exploring the Use of the Strong Black Woman Role in the Coping Strategies of Black Women Survivors of Hurricane Katrina
Sapiro B, Mendez A, Haynes C, Lowe S, Cioè-Peña M, Waters M. Weathering the Storm: Exploring the Use of the Strong Black Woman Role in the Coping Strategies of Black Women Survivors of Hurricane Katrina. Women & Therapy 2025, ahead-of-print: 1-38. DOI: 10.1080/02703149.2025.2461574.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsBlack womenHurricane KatrinaBlack women’s roleSurvivors of Hurricane KatrinaStrong Black WomanGendered pressuresCoping strategiesGendered racismStructural oppressionSurvivors of disastersWomen's rolesCulturally appropriate interventionsLongitudinal interviewsBlack mothersSelf-relianceStrong Black Woman schemaResearchers identified themesNarrative analysisBlack girlsHelp-seekingAppropriate interventionsCommunity collegesKatrinaWomenInterviewsLong-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 2025, 31: 116-126. DOI: 10.1037/trm0000497.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsConceptsPosttraumatic 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 survivorsCumulative disaster exposure and hypertension among mothers who survived Hurricane Katrina
Meadows M, Desai M, Zacher M, Lowe S. Cumulative disaster exposure and hypertension among mothers who survived Hurricane Katrina. Environmental Research Health 2025, 3: 025005. PMID: 39968533, PMCID: PMC11831098, DOI: 10.1088/2752-5309/adb32c.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPsychological distressHurricane exposureAdverse physical health outcomesDisaster exposurePhysical health outcomesLow-income mothersImpact mental healthShort-term health impactsHurricane KatrinaExposure to hypertensionHealth outcomesChronic conditionsPhysical healthMental healthHypertension oddsHypertension riskIncreased oddsVulnerable populationsSurvey wavesLogistic regressionCumulative exposureHealth impactsPotential mediatorsExposure to hurricanesPost-KatrinaCross-cultural adaptation of mental health screening instruments for Samoan adolescents
Mew E, Lowe S, Galea’i A, Iopu F, Anderson J, Naseri J, Hunt L, Mulitalo-Cheung T, Fauolo-Manila O, Soliai-Lemusu S, Hawley N, McCutchan-Tofaeono J. Cross-cultural adaptation of mental health screening instruments for Samoan adolescents. PLOS Mental Health 2025, 2: e0000106. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmen.0000106.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsMental health screening instrumentCPSS-5Screening instrumentPTSD Symptom Scale-Self-ReportDeliberate Self-Harm QuestionnaireGeneralized Anxiety Disorder 7Measure symptoms of depressionSelf-injurious thoughtsSymptoms of depressionSamoan adolescentsPost-traumatic stressSelf-Harm QuestionnaireAvon Longitudinal Study of ParentsCross-cultural validityLongitudinal Study of ParentsMental health problemsAvon Longitudinal StudyStudy of ParentsGAD-7English language wordsAdolescent focus groupsMeasure symptomsMeasurement equivalenceSelf-reportFocus groupsMental Health After Mass Shootings: Research Findings and Clinical Considerations
Lowe S, Márquez-Greene N, Ranney M. Mental Health After Mass Shootings: Research Findings and Clinical Considerations. Journal Of Health Service Psychology 2025, 51: 5-13. DOI: 10.1007/s42843-025-00125-7.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsMental healthAdverse mental health outcomesMental health outcomesPsychological first aidMental health consequencesEvidence-based assessmentClinical case studyPoor mental healthLow symptomsMass shootingsHealth outcomesKey themesFirst aidClinical considerationsEmpirical literatureRisk factorsEthical challengesResearch findingsPTSDHealthPsychologyTherapistsMentalUnited StatesOutcomes
2024
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 2024, 30: 637-646. 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 organizationsAbleism 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 ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsMental 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 concernDisability
Academic Achievements & Community Involvement
Activities
activity Connecticut Governor's Council on Climate Change (GC3)
06/01/2020 - PresentPeer Review Groups and Grant Study SectionsMemberactivity Scientific Oversight Committee, Aliso Canyon Disaster Health Research Study
2020 - PresentPeer Review Groups and Grant Study SectionsMemberactivity Office
07/01/2019 - PresentResearchDetailsNew Haven, CT, United States
Honors
honor Award for Outstanding Contribution to Trauma Psychology by an Early Career Psychologist
08/30/2022National AwardAmerican Psychological Association Division 56 (Trauma Psychology)DetailsUnited Stateshonor Robins/Guze Early Career Award
04/01/2021National AwardAmerican Psychopathological AssociationDetailsUnited Stateshonor Wendy U. and Thomas C. Naratil Pioneer Award
10/01/2020Yale School of Medicine AwardYale Women’s Health Research ProgramDetailsUnited Stateshonor Chancellor’s Distinguished Dissertation Award in the Social Sciences
06/01/2013Other AwardUniversity of Massachusetts BostonDetailsUnited Stateshonor Faculty Council Award for Research Excellence
06/01/2012Other AwardWeill Cornell Medical CollegeDetailsUnited States
News
News
- May 20, 2025Source: The New York Times
Minnesota Teens Are Fighting Climate Anxiety With Shovels
- January 13, 2025
Yale faculty present findings from research funded by Hecht Awards
- January 10, 2025Source: ABC News
California wildfires can take mental health toll on residents, firefighters
- December 27, 2024Source: Star News
Climate anxiety is a growing concern in New Hanover County
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