Trauma and Adversity

Trauma and Adversity

Through the conduct of culturally informed research, we will quantify and intervene on the health consequences of exposure to potentially traumatic events across the life course. This will include studies of exposure to disasters, child maltreatment, intimate partner violence, and other forms of gender-based violence.

Typhoon Hato Cohort Study

On August 23, 2017, Typhoon Hato made landfall in The Greater Bay Area of China causing devastation to the city. At least 12 people died and over 200 were injured as a result of the storm. It was the worst storm to hit the Macao (SAR) in over 50 years, and the first time that a Typhoon signal 10 was hoisted in nearly 20 years. Over 1Billion USD in damages and lost revenue was reported. The research team worked with the Student Affairs Office of the University of Macau to rapidly screen nearly 2000 students who were affected by the storm. This study will follow these students longitudinally over one year to understand critical risk and resiliency factors for various outcomes.

*Yuan, G., Shi, W., Elhai, J., Montag, C., Chang, K., Jackson, T., & Hall, B. J. (2022). Gaming to cope: Applying network analysis to understand the relationship between posttraumatic stress symptoms and internet gaming disorder symptoms among disaster-exposed Chinese young adults. Addictive Behaviors, 124, 107096.

*Yuan, G., Shi, W., Lowe, S., Chang, K., Jackson, T., & Hall, B. J. (2021). Associations between posttraumatic stress symptoms, perceived social support and psychological distress among disaster-exposed Chinese young adults: A three-wave longitudinal mediation model. Journal of Psychiatric Research. 137, 491-497. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.03.036

*Yuan, G., Park, C., *Birkland, S., *Yip, P., & Hall, B. J. (2021). A network analysis of the association between posttraumatic stress symptoms and posttraumatic growth among disaster-exposed Chinese young adults. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 34, 786-798. doi: 10.1002/jts.22673

*Shi, W. & Hall, B. J. (2021). Help-seeking intention among Chinese college students exposed to a natural disaster: An application of an extended theory of planned behavior (E-TPB). Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 56, 1273-1282. doi.org/10.1007/s00127-020-01993-8

*Shi, W. & Hall, B. J. (2020). Help-Seeking Preferences among Chinese College Students Exposed to a Natural Disaster: A Person-Centered Approach. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 11:1, 1761621. doi: doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2020.1761621

Hall, B. J., *Xiong, Y., *Yip, P. S. Y., *Lao, C., *Shi, W., Sou, E. K. L., Chang, K., Wang, L., & Lam, A.I.F (2019). The association between disaster exposure and media use on posttraumatic stress disorder following Typhoon Hato in Macao, China. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 10:1, 1558709. doi: doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2018.1558709

COVID-19 Chinese Youth Study

This project co-led by researchers at the Hong Kong University, and with support from the General Association of Chinese Students, enrolled over 1,700 Chinese secondary school students in the Macao (SAR) who completed an online questionnaire between June 2020 and July 2020. The purpose of this study was to gather key policy relevant data on the impact of lockdowns and mobility restrictions on the health and wellbeing of Chinese youth. Research domains included substance abuse, behavioral addictions, and common mental disorders. Ongoing dissemination of research findings are underway.

Chang, C. I., Sit, H. F., Chao, T., Chen, C., Shen, J., Cao, B., Montag, C., Elhai, J. & Hall, B. J. (2022). Exploring subtypes and correlates of internet gaming disorder severity among adolescents during COVID-19 in China: A latent class analysis. Current Psychology. doi: 10.1007/s12144-022-03133-8. IF: 4.297. WOS: Q1 (23/140)