New York City's Asian American teens and kids are in crisis
February 27, 2024
Doctors and parents continue to sound the alarm on teens and kids struggling with mental health, in what's been described as a nationwide crisis.
In New York City, efforts have focused specifically on connecting Asian American kids and teens with mental health resources, as statistics put them at an especially high risk of suicide or self harm.
Dr. Cindy Huang, Assistant Professor of Counseling Psychology at Columbia University, says cultural difference often make traditional Western forms of therapy incompatible for immigrant Asian American families. She joins WNYC's Morning Edition host Michael Hill to discuss how her practice is working with the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to find out how the therapy industry can better serve the community.
Coping, Racial Discrimination, and Psychological Distress Among Asian American Parents
November 16, 2023
Dr. Huang talks with Dr. Bryan Kim, Editor of The Counseling Psychologist (TCP), about her team’s recently published article.
How Can Families of Color Help Teens Cope with Mental Health?
With advisement from TC’s Cindy Huang, a new Ad Council public service initiative aims to help address cultural disparities in mental health access among Black and Latinx youth
June 10, 2021
Dr. Huang served as an expert consultant on the Ad Council’s Sound It Out campaign, which seeks to promote communication between caregivers and teens by providing music and lyrics for families to discuss mental health. Read more about the campaign and how Sound It Out fits into Dr. Huang’s work.
“Ohio High School Plans to Drug-Test All Students at Least Once a Year”
november 16, 2019
Dr. Huang was quoted in the New York Times sharing her thoughts regarding the drug-testing programs being implemented in various schools across the country. Here is an excerpt from the article:
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study from 2016 said more than 37 percent of school districts had adopted a drug-testing policy. There seems to be an increase in similar programs across the country, Cindy Huang, assistant professor of counseling psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University, said in an interview on Thursday.
The research to prove if drug testing is beneficial to students is mixed, according to the Professor Huang. “There’s really no clear indication that implementing mandatory drug testing will directly lead to better and reduced substance abuse rates,” she said.
Parents across the country should not be concerned if their school begins a drug-testing program if it is “properly planned and then implemented,” Professor Huang said. In such cases, she said, it has the potential to work as prevention.
She added that parents should be asking detailed questions about what happens if a child tests positive, whether testing will truly be conducted at random and in such a way that does not target specific children, and whether there will be programs in addition to drug testing that will promote awareness of substance use.
Presentation at the Parent Child Relationship Association: Mapleton Library
June 19, 2019
On June 19, 2019, Dr. Cindy Y. Huang (with RA Shiyu Tang) gave a presentation regarding parent-child relationships to a full audience of Chinese immigrant parents and families at the Parent Child Relationship Association in Brooklyn, NY.
Brown Bag Lecture #8: CAMHP Student Showcase (Teachers College, Columbia University)
april 23, 2019
Brown Bag Lecture #7: Dr. Cindy Huang and Dr. Christine Cha (Teachers College, Columbia University)
march 26, 2019
On Tuesday, March 26, Dr. Cindy Huang from the Counseling Psychology program and Dr. Christine Cha from the Clinical Psychology program at Teachers College, Columbia University presented their ongoing research collaboration on family assessments for suicidal youth.
36th Annual Winter Roundtable Conference
February 22, 2019
On Friday, February 22, members of the CHamP lab participated in the 36th Annual Winter Roundtable Conference held at Teachers College, Columbia University. Our RAs facilitated a symposium and led a roundtable discussion around immigrant youth, mental health, and implications for mental health practitioners. We had packed rooms and great engagement from the audience for both talks!
“Family Separation at the U.S. Border”
— Stephanie L. and Emily H. facilitating Dr. Cindy Huang and Dr. Kiara Alvarez’s symposium.
“Crossing the Border: What Comes After”
Nyrah M. introducing and leading the roundtable discussion with Kailee K., Cindy H., Noemie K., and Stephanie L.
Brown Bag Lecture #6: Dr. Aurelie Athan (Teachers College, Columbia University)
February 19, 2019
On Tuesday, February 19, Dr. Aurelie Athan from the Clinical Psychology department at Teachers College, Columbia University shared her research on the developmental approach to reproductive identity formation and sex education.
DIME2 Cafe Talk at Trevor Day School
February 8, 2019
On Wednesday, January 30, Dr. Cindy Huang shared her expertise regarding how to support healthy racial and ethnic development in children and adolescents at Trevor Day School. Parents and educators of Trevor Day School children attended Dr. Huang’s talk and, with Dr. Huang’s facilitation, engaged in a discussion about promoting healthy racial and ethnic identities among the youth. See the Trevor Thursday Digest below with details about Dr. Huang’s talk, written by Scott Reisinger, the Head of School at Trevor Day School.
Brown Bag Lecture #4: Dr. Ruth Gerson (NYU School of Medicine)
December 11, 2018
On December 11, 2018, Dr. Ruth Gerson from NYU School of Medicine presented her research on assessing and managing suicide risk in adolescents.
Joining Forces to Prevent Youth Self-Harm: Two TC psychologists lead a new multidisciplinary project
november 27, 2018
Suicide is now the 10th-leading cause of death in the U.S. For every suicide, another 25 people make an attempt, and countless others contemplate it.
Yet perhaps the most alarming indication of a growing public health crisis is the sharp increase in suicidal thoughts and actions among young people. In the past 10 years, the number of children and teenagers in the U.S. who have been hospitalized for attempting or considering suicide has doubled, according to a study published in Pediatrics in June.
Youth mental health experts Dr. Cindy Huang, TC Assistant Professor of Counseling Psychology, and Dr. Christine Cha, TC Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology, are taking the lead in unraveling the complex causes of youth suicide and suicide ideation, in designing assessments for individual risk among children and teens, and in developing novel interventions and prevention techniques.
Read more about Dr. Huang and Dr. Cha’s research here!
Brown Bag Lecture #3: Dr. Prerna Arora (Teachers College, Columbia University)
November 20, 2018
On November 20, 2018, Dr. Prerna Arora from the School Psychology department at Teachers College, Columbia University presented her research on immigrant youth and school mental health.
Brown Bag Lecture #2: Dr. Kiara Alvarez (Harvard Medical School)
october 23, 2018
On October 23, 2018, Dr. Kiara Alvarez from Harvard Medical School presented her research on family-based prevention for suicide risk among Latinx youth.
Brown Bag Lecture #1: Dr. Cindy Huang (Teachers College, Columbia University)
September 18, 2018
On September 18, 2018, Dr. Cindy Huang from the Counseling Psychology program at Teachers College, Columbia University introduced the Brown Bag Lecture Series for 2018-2019 and provided updates on the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Project (CAMHP).
Today's Parent – Why your toddler’s “no!” phase is so important (and how to survive it)
February 12, 2018
Our very own director of the lab, Dr. Cindy Huang, shares some insight on the importance of "no" in toddlers:
"... make no mistake about it: A 'no' is also meant to test you. Will you give in? Will you put your foot down? It’s a mystery to your toddler! 'The way parents respond to limit-setting behaviors is how young children learn,' explains Cindy Huang, Assistant Professor of Counseling Psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University. 'They learn rules about their own behaviors and how to navigate the complex social world around them.'
And that newfound voice of theirs? It also helps them set their own limits so that they forge healthy relationships and even protect themselves from sexual assault. 'If a child doesn’t want to be hugged or kissed by another child or adult, their ‘no’ should be respected and listened to,' says Huang. It’s crucial that we understand the context for the ‘no.’'
There’s a lot wrapped up in that little two-letter word—and it’s all really important."
Read the full article here!
Teachers College Smarter Parenting and Grandparenting Series
May 9, 2017
Youth Mental Health: Knowing When to Help and How
Mental health can be a tricky topic for parents. What signs do we need to look for? When do we help, and how? Dr. Cha and Dr. Huang--faculty members in TC's Counseling and Clinical Psychology Department and co-directors of the The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Project (CAMHP)--gave a talk in May 2017 to provide an overview of mental health issues for children and adolescents, and discuss practical ways for parents to effectively address mental health concerns such as depression, anxiety, and self-harm. In addition, Dr. Cha and Dr. Huang discussed key research on these topics and offer parenting resources, with the ultimate goal of fostering well-being both within and beyond childhood and adolescence.