Helping Chinese American teens and their parents seek mental health support
Official title: Empowering Chinese American Adolescents and Parents for Mental Health Help-Seeking
Funded at City College of New York · NIH-11176077 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is testing an online program to help Chinese American teens and their parents feel more comfortable seeking mental health support by addressing cultural beliefs and reducing stigma, making it easier for them to get the help they need.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | City College of New York NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | August 23, 2024 |
| Project end | March 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $262,975 |
| NIH project number | 5U54MD017979-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11176077 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research include Chinese American adolescents experiencing mental health challenges and their parents.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not identify as Chinese American or those who are not experiencing mental health issues may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research aims to create and test an online program designed to help Chinese American adolescents and their parents overcome barriers to seeking mental health services. The program will be culturally tailored to address specific beliefs and attitudes that may prevent these families from accessing necessary support. By reducing stigma and improving understanding of mental health issues, the intervention seeks to encourage more adolescents to utilize mental health services. The project will also evaluate the experiences of participants to ensure the program is effective and acceptable.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could significantly improve mental health service utilization among Chinese American adolescents and their families.
How similar studies have gone: While there is limited research specifically targeting Chinese American adolescents, similar culturally adapted interventions have shown promise in improving mental health service utilization in other minority populations.
Where this research is happening
-
City College of New York
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lu, Wenhua — City College of New York
- Study coordinator: Lu, Wenhua
Related research
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This program offers the multi-part Just Care for Families support to rural parents to reduce problems like unemployment and housing stress so they can avoid opioid use and feel better mentally.
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Supporting Chinese American teens and their parents to seek mental health care
This project tests an online, culturally tailored program to reduce stigma and help Chinese American adolescents and their parents get mental health care.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.