HEAL
Heath, Empowerment, & Advocacy Lab
Principle Investigator: Nguyen Nguyen, Ph.D.
MISSION & VALUES
Welcome to Health, Empowerment, & Advocacy Lab!
Our lab is dedicated to addressing health disparities faced by minoritized and marginalized communities. Our work lies at the intersection of health and multicultural psychology, with a specific focus on the interconnections between physical, psychological, and social pain experienced by these groups, as well as the factors that promote their health and empowerment.
Rooted in the Biopsychosocial framework and Liberation Psychology, we are committed to viewing individuals from minoritized communities as holistic beings—acknowledging both their pain and their inherent power. While we seek to understand the complex factors contributing to their pain, such as racism and language discrimination, we also explore the forces that drive healing and community resilience, such as critical consciousness, a sense of belonging, social support, and hope.
We seek to deepen empathy and understanding of their pain from multiple biopsychosocial perspectives, while also honoring their collective strengths, resilience, and capacity to heal themselves and their communities. Our ultimate mission is to create nuanced and holistic stories of their pain and power and use these narratives to inform prevention, intervention, and advocacy efforts.
CURRENT PROJECTS
PUBLICATIONS
| Peer-Reviewed Journals |
Kim, S. Y., Nguyen, N., Yoo, H., Bartholomew T. (2024). “I can’t think in English when I hurt so bad”: the phenomenology of racial and linguistic minority chronic pain patients’ experience with pain communication. Counseling Psychology Quarterly, 1-26. https://doi.org/10.1080/09515070.2024.2431115
Kim, S. Y., Iserman, M., Nguyen, N., & Yoo, H. (2024). Diurnal cortisol patterns in chronic pain: Associations with work-family spillover, work, and home stress. Stress, 27(1), 2402954. https://doi.org/10.1080/10253890.2024.2402954
Nguyen, N., Kim, S., Tran, S., & Yoo, H. (2023). Work-to-family conflicts and pain interference among midlife adults: A longitudinal serial mediation via family strain and loneliness. Psychology & Health. https://doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2023.2259929
Nguyen, N., Kim, S. Y., Sanchez, M. R., & Morales, A. (2022). Internalizing symptoms among Asian American language brokers: The moderating role of values enculturation. Journal of American College Health, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2022.2055433.
Nguyen, N., Kim, S., Daheim, J., & Neduvelil, A. (2021). Prescription pain medication use among midlife and older adults with chronic pain: The roles of generativity and perceived family support. Families, Systems, & Health, 39(2), 248-258. https://doi.org/10.1037/fsh0000579
Nguyen, N., Kim, S., Daheim, J., & Neduvelil, A. (2020). Social contribution and psychological well-being among midlife adults with chronic pain: A longitudinal approach. Journal of Aging and Health, 32(10), 1591-1601. https://doi.org/10.1177/0898264320947293
Kim, H.J., Kim, S. Y., Duffy, R.D., Nguyen, N., & Wang, D. (2019). A cross-cultural comparison of the Psychology of Working Theory among U.S. and Korean college students. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 67(5), 568. https://doi.org/10.1037/cou0000408
Daheim, J., Kim, S., Neduvelil, A., & Nguyen, N. (2019). Traditional gender role beliefs and prescription painkiller usage. Pain Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1093/pm/pnz200
Wachs, F., Fuqua, J., Nissenson, P., Shih, A., Ramirez, M., DaSilva, L., Nguyen, N., & Romero, C. (2018). Successfully Flipping a Fluid Mechanics Course Using Video Tutorials and Active Learning Strategies: Implementation and Assessment. Proceedings of the 2018 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition in Salt Lake City, UT (June 24-27, 2018). Available at https://www.asee.org/public/conferences/106/papers/23046/view
| Manuscript Under Review |
Nguyen, N., & Kim, S. (under review). When Adjusting to Ethnic Discrimination is Not Enough: The Moderating Role of Critical Consciousness Among Ethnic Minorities with Chronic Pain
Kim, S., Nguyen, N., & Yoo, H. (under review). Can Social Pain Be Medicated Away? How Everyday Discrimination Exacerbates the Risk of Opioid Abuse Among Racial and Ethnic Minority People with Chronic Pain.
Kim, S., Nguyen, N., & Yoo, H. (under review). “I can’t think in English when I hurt so bad”: The Phenomenology of Ethnic and Linguistic Minorities’ Experiences with Pain Communication.
Daheim, J., Nguyen, N., & Kim, S. (under review). Physical Activity and Mindfulness in the Relation between Negative Work-Family Spillover and Life Satisfaction.
Kim, S., Lee, J., Nguyen, N., & Mathai, B. (under review). The change of psychosocial conditions among workers with chronic pain: A latent transition analysis.
| Manuscript In Preparation |
Speaking With Non-Native English Accents and Mental Health Outcomes: A Mixed-Method Investigation.
Workplace Discrimination among Midlife Adults with Chronic Pain: The Longitudinal Buffering Effect of Work-to-family Enrichment.
How Self-Esteem and Self-Acceptance Mediated the Adverse Effects of Workplace Discrimination on Chronic Pain Outcomes: A Longitudinal Multiple Mediations Model.
The Long-term Detrimental Effects of Job Discrimination on Chronic Pain Among Midlife Adults: The Longitudinal Buffering Effect of Self-Esteem.
Kim, S., Nguyen, N., & Yoo, H. (First Draft Completed). Pain Care for Linguistically Diverse Patients: Physical Therapists' Perspectives.
Kim, S., Nguyen, N., Yoo, H., & Grossman, J. (First Draft Completed). Caring for linguistic and cultural minority patients with chronic pain: Nurses' perspectives.
Kim, S., Yoo, H., Nguyen, N. (First Draft Completed). Providing Optimal Pain Care for Limited English Proficient Patients: Physicians' Perspectives.
SELECT PRESENTATIONS
Nguyen, N., Kim, S.Y, Yoo, H. (2022, August). Pain Care for Linguistically Diverse Patients: Physical Therapists' Perspectives. In Shin Ye Kim (Chair), Providers' Perspectives in Pain Care Among Linguistic, Cultural, and Ethnic Minority Patients. Symposium presented at the Convention of the American Psychological Association, Minneapolis, MN.
Nguyen, N., Kim, S.Y, Yoo, H. (2022, August). Caring for Linguistic and Cultural Minorities with Chronic Pain: Nurses' Perspectives. In Shin Ye Kim (Chair), Providers' Perspectives in Pain Care Among Linguistic, Cultural, and Ethnic Minority Patients. Symposium presented at the Convention of the American Psychological Association, Minneapolis, MN.
Nguyen, N., & Kim, SY. (2022, August). Non-Native English Accents, Mental Health, & Vocational Outcomes among U.S. College Students. In Shin Ye Kim (Chair), You Should Speak Up: Language and Shame among Ethnic and Linguistic Minority Students in Psychology. Symposium presented at the Convention of the American Psychological Association, Minneapolis, MN.
Yoo, H., Nguyen, N., & Kim, S.Y. (2022, August). Providing Optimal Pain Care for LEP Patients: Physicians' Perspectives. In Shin Ye Kim (Chair), Providers' Perspectives in Pain Care Among Linguistic, Cultural, and Ethnic Minority Patients. Symposium presented at the Convention of the American Psychological Association, Minneapolis, MN.
Nguyen, N., Kim, S.Y, Oh, W, Ahn, Y., & Daheim, J. (2019, August). Developmental Trajectories of Work-Family Conflict and Enrichment among Midlife American Employees. In Shin Ye Kim (Chair), Life Span approach of work-family experiences over time among midlife and older adults in America: Findings from three longitudinal studies. Symposium presented at the Convention of the American Psychological Association, Chicago, IL.
Nguyen, N., Kim, S., & Lee, J. (2022, March). The Change of Work-Family-Social Support Interface Among Workers with Chronic Pain: A Latent Transition Analysis. Paper presented at the American Psychosomatic Society, Long Beach, CA.
Nguyen, N., Kim, S., & Yoo, H. (2022, March). Language and Cultural Barriers in Pain Communication: Experiences of Healthcare Providers. Paper presented at the American Psychosomatic Society, Long Beach, CA.
Nguyen, N., Sisneros, C., Duong, T., & Kim, S. (2021, April). Workplace Discrimination among Midlife Adults with Chronic Pain: The Longitudinal Buffering Effect of Work-to-Family Enrichment. Paper presented at the 101st Annual Western Psychological Association Convention, Virtual.
Nguyen, N., White, A., Tran, S., & Kim, S. (2021, April). Work-to-Family Conflict and Pain among Midlife Adults with Chronic Pain: A Longitudinal Serial Mediation via Perceived Family Strain and Loneliness. Paper presented at the 101st Annual Western Psychological Association Convention, Virtual.
Nguyen, N., & Kim, S. (2019, April). Psychological Well-being in Midlife Adults with Chronic Pain: The Role of Generativity and Family Support. Paper presented at the 99th Annual Western Psychological Association Convention, Pasadena, CA.
Nguyen, N. & Morales, A. (2019, April). Language Brokering and Anxiety: The Moderating Role of Parent-Child Bonding. Paper presented at the 99th Annual Western Psychological Association Convention, Pasadena, CA.