Family Resilience and Child Development Lab (FRCD)
The FRCD lab aims to use rigorous research approaches in understanding and promoting the health and positive development of vulnerable and underserved children, especially those affected by parent-child separation. Guided by strength-based theories, our current research with separated-reunited Chinese immigrant families, funded by NIH, used qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods community-based participatory research (CBPR) approaches to understand and address child health disparities related to family separation in various ecological contexts. We strive to establish and strengthen research-community partnerships through engaging community efforts and perspectives in research and practice for understudied immigrant and minority communities. Our long-term goal is to apply our research approaches and evidence-based services to other child populations with a history of family separation (e.g., children of diverse immigrant/refugee communities and children in foster care)
Meet the Team:
Shaobing Su, PhD, MEd
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry & FRCD Director
Hehua (Lily) Xu
Research Coordinator I
Xihan Yang, PhD
Postdoc Fellow
Lab Highlights:
Selected Publications (* indicates trainees):
1. Su, S., Yang, X., * Li, Y., * Kwong, K., Yip, T., Suarez-Orozco, C., & Betancourt, T. (Under Review). Multilevel risk and protective factors during separation and reunification for youth “satellite babies:” A qualitative study with separated-reunited Chinese immigrant parent-child dyads. Child Development.
2. Su, S., Xu, H.,* Yang, X., * & Bai, R. (Under Review). “I am a stranger in my family:” A qualitative study of family experiences among separated-reunited Chinese immigrant families during separation and reunification. Journal of Marriage and Family.
3. Li, R., Wu, Y., * Yang, X., * & Su, S. (In Revision). “We Had No Better Choice”: Mixed-methods Analysis of Parent-child Separation and Reunification in Chinese Immigrant Families with Separated Youth “Satellite Babies”. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health.
4. Ding, Y., * Mao, W.,* Yang, X., * Wang, R., * & Su., S. (Under Review). Adaptive Reunification for children and parents affected by early and prolonged parent-child separation: Insights from separated-reunited parent-child dyads. Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology.
5. Yokoyama, R., * Fu, W.,* Yang, X., * & Su, S. (Under Review). Mental Health of Separated-Reunited Youth “Satellite Babies” in Chinese Immigrant Families: A Qualitative Study with Parent-Child Dyads. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry.
6. Yang, X., * Li, J., * Yu, B., * & Su, S. (Under Review). How Does Early and Prolonged Parent-Child Separation Affect Parental Mental Health?: A Mixed-methods Study among Separated-Reunited Chinese Immigrant Parents. Clinical Social Work Journal.
7. Su, S., Liu, X.,* Yang, X., * & Wang, C. (Under Review). School Adaptation among Separated-reunited Chinese American Youth Following Early and Prolonged Parent-Child Separation: A Qualitative Study with Parent-Child Dyads. School Psychology.
8. Su, S., Li, R.,* & Ma, L.* (Under review). Parent-child separation, parent-child interactions, and child daily mood among “satellite baby” families: A daily diary study with parent-child dyads. Child: Care Health and Development.
9. Wang, Y., Su, S., Xiao, J., & Lin, D. (2024). Positive character and psychological well-being: A nuanced examination among adolescents from diverse rural–urban and migration contexts. J Res Adolesc. 2024. Sep 24. https://doi.org/10.1002/jad.12409
10. Xiao, J.,* Su, S., & Lin, D. Trajectories of peer victimization among left-behind children in rural China: The role of positive school climate. J Res Adolesc. 2024 May 06. PMID: 38708834.
11. Su, S., Wang, E., & Su, S. Perceived discrimination and multiple indicators of positive development among second-generation Chinese-American youth: The moderating role of ethnic identity. Child Care Health Dev. 2024 03; 50(2):e13251. PMID: 38529762.
12. Freeman, J. A., Farrar, J. C., Placencio-Castro, M., Desrosiers, A., Brennan, R. T., Hansen, N. B., Akinsulure-Smith, A. M., Su, S., Bangura, J., & Betancourt, T. S. Integrating Youth Readiness Intervention and Entrepreneurship in Sierra Leone: A Hybrid Type II Cluster Randomized Trial. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2024 Jul; 63(7):708-719. PMID: 38143022.
13. Shen, Z.,* Xiao, J.,* Su, S., Tam, C. C., & Lin, D. Reciprocal associations between peer victimization and depressive symptoms among Chinese children and adolescents: Between- and within-person effects. Appl Psychol Health Well Being. 2023 08; 15(3):938-956. PMID: 36415123.
14. Su, S., & Johnson, S. K. Measuring Positive Development among College Students in the United States: Investigating Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Measurement Invariance across Different Racial Groups. J Pers Assess. 2023 Jul-Aug; 105(4):531-543. PMID: 36129401.
15. Su, S., Frounfelker, R. L., Desrosiers, A., Brennan R.T., Farrar, J., & Betancourt, T. S. (2021). Classifying childhood war trauma exposure: Latent profile analyses of Sierra Leone’s former child soldiers. The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. 62 (6), 751-761. PMID: 32860231.
16. Li, X., Su, S., Xiao, J., Zhang, Y., & Lin, D. Latent profiles and transition of perceived parental control and their relationship with the psychosocial well-being among rural-to-urban migrant adolescents. Appl Psychol Health Well Being. 2021;13(3):518-536. PMID: 33844888.
Conferences & Presentations:
Xu, H., & Su, S. (April 2024). “I am a stranger in my family:” A qualitative study of family experiences among separated-reunited Chinese immigrant families at the Society for Research on Adolescence (SRA) Biennial Meeting, Chicago, IL. Poster
2. Yokoyama, R., Fu, W., Yang, X., & Su, S. (June 2024). Mental Health of Separated-Reunited Youth “Satellite Babies” in Chinese Immigrant Families: A Qualitative Study with Parent-Child Dyads. Poster presented at the International Society for the Study of Behavioural Development (ISSBD) Biennial Meeting, Lisbon, Portugal.
3. Liu, X., Yang, X., & Su, S. (August 2024). Schooling Adaptation among Separated-Reunited Chinese American Youth. Poster presented at the Biennial Meeting of the American Psychological Association (APA), Seattle, WA.
4. Yu, B., Yang, X., Li, J., & Su, S. Parental Mental Health Following Lengthy Parent-Child Separation: A Mixed-methods Study with Affected Chinese Immigrant Parents. Poster presented at the 2024 Boston College Diversity Challenge Conference; September 2024; Chestnut Hill, MA
Research:
Effects of Early and Prolonged Parent-Child Separation: Understanding Mental Health among Separated-Reunited Chinese American Children
Title: Effects of Early and Prolonged Parent-Child Separation: Understanding Mental Health among Separated-Reunited Chinese American Children
Dates: 2024-2026
Funder: National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)
Grant Number: R00 Award (R00MD017269)
Funding: $
PIs: Shaobing Su
Description:
Effects of Early and Prolonged Parent-Child Separation: Understanding Mental Health among Separated-Reunited Chinese American Children
Title: Effects of Early and Prolonged Parent-Child Separation: Understanding Mental Health among Separated-Reunited Chinese American Children
Dates: 2022-2023
Funder: National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)
Grant Number: K99 Award (K99MD017269)
Funding: $
PIs: Shaobing Su
Description:
Mentoring:
Dr. Su is deeply committed to mentorship. The FRCD lab aims to foster mutually beneficial mentor-mentee relationships in support of the professional development of mentees and achieving productivity in research. Since 2022, many undergraduate and graduate students have sought research opportunities with Dr. Su. In response, Dr. Su has offered a variety of training and mentoring activities, such as research skills workshops and weekly hands-on manuscript and grant writing sessions. These efforts are aimed at developing the research abilities of postdocs, research staff, and student interns, significantly contributing to FRCD's research productivity. Since early 2024, Dr. Su and Xihan have supported the FRCD writing team in the preparation of 7 manuscripts related to an NIH K99 research project. Most of these manuscripts have been led or co-led by undergraduate and graduate trainees.
Graduate and Undergraduate Research Assistants: Jingzhou (Mona) Li, Graduate Research Assistant; HaSeung (Eric) Song, Graduate Research Assistant from Boston College; Wenlan (Ella) Mao, Graduate Research Assistant from Boston College; Ruoying (Amy) Li, Graduate Research Assistant from University of Pennsylvania; Yinan (Lemon) Ding, Undergraduate Research Assistant from Boston College; Yiran (Iris) Li, Undergraduate Research Assistant from Cornell University; and Yaxi (Rena) Fan, Undergraduate Research Assistant from Boston College.
High School and Youth Community Advisors: Jamie Chen, Angelina Weng, Vincent Dong, and Nathan Mai
Lab Alumni: Ruoxi (Rosie) Wang, Risa Yokoyama, Weiyi (Sunny) Fu, Yingying(Quincy) Cai, Saige Xu and Rebecca Liu
Community Collaborations & Services:
The FRCD lab conducts community-based Participatory Research (CBPR) in the Chinese immigrant community. Our current collaborators are primarily non-profit community organizations that provide services to Chinese immigrant/American families in New York City and the surrounding areas, and the greater Boston area.
Community Collaborators
American Chinese Christian Education & Social Services Inc., (ACCESS) Boston, MA
Coalition of Asian-American IPA (CAIPA), NYC, NY
Huaxia Chinese Language Schools, Westchester Community College, NYC, NY
Kwong Kow Chinese School (KKCS), Boston, MA
Parent-Child Relationships (PCR) Association, Brooklyn, NY
Community Advisory Board (CAB)
The lab has established a community advisory board (CAB) to support our research with Chinese immigrant families since 2022. The CAB members include community organization leaders, practitioners, Chinese immigrant parents, and Chinese American youth. We meet quarterly to discuss research materials, sampling plans, research findings, and evidence-based community practices, etc.
- First Community Advisory Board Meeting: Introduction and Plans
- Second Community Advisory Board Meeting: Updates and Recruitment
- Third Community Advisory Board Meeting: Updates and Reflections
- Fourth Community Advisory Board Meeting: Updates and Reflections
- Fifth Community Advisory Board Meeting: Research Progress, Results, and Implications
- Sixth Community Advisory Board Meeting: Recruitment and Data Collection for the Quantitative Survey
Youth Advisory Board (YAB)
The FRCD lab has engaged a group of middle school and high school students from NY and MA in biweekly meetings on research advertisement and recruitment for the NIH-funded projects with Chinese immigrant families with adolescents ages 12-17. The goals of the YAB are to supervise youth in research and involve their assistance with community-based research activities.
Community Services
The lab reaches out to more than 20 community organizations and continues to actively work with multiple community organizations in New York City (NYC) and the Boston area (e.g., Parent-Child Relationship (PCR) Association). The team also participated in a few events organized by these organizations and successfully recruited participants for the study. New collaborations were also built with a few Chinese American community organizations to expand the pool of participants (e.g., Glow Community Center in the Flushing Community in NYC). While the FRCD lab receives support from community organizations and individuals for the recruitment and data collection activities for our research projects with Chinese immigrant families, our team also provides services (e.g., bout parenting and child development, college application guidelines for adolescents) that may interest parents and children in the community. The following events were provided to the community to share helpful resources (e.g., information related to mental health and college applications).
Learn more about the FRCD Lab or Contact Us
Email: frcd@umassmed.edu
Call: 774-514-1978
WeChat: @umass_frcd
