Join the School of Behavioral Health and the Department of Counseling and Family Sciences for our summer Global Mental Health Lecture Series!
On July 8, 2021, Loma Linda University alumnus and faculty member Dr. Qais Alemi will present "Stress, Sources of Resilience, and Help-Seeking among Young People in Post-War Afghanistan."
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Qais Alemi, PhD, MPH, MBA
Associate Professor, School of Behavioral Health, Loma Linda University
Dr. Alemi is a global mental health researcher, with a keen interest in understanding the social and psychological challenges endured by populations affected by political violence. His research includes studies of refugees and asylum-seekers that have contributed to expanding basic knowledge about the unmet socio-economic needs of resettlement communities here in the U.S. and abroad, and how various social factors including but not limited to cultural adjustment, stigma and discrimination add to the burden of their mental health challenges. His translational work consists of developing explanatory cultural models of distress and depression for Afghan refugees in particular, which to date has assisted clinicians and therapists alike in their direct practice with this group.
Dr. Alemi's most recent studies include surveys of young people in post-war Afghanistan that not only examine stress, but also what young people are doing to cope with ongoing daily hassles. Through his research, he envisions shaping public [mental] health policies and improving clinical practice by identifying culturally-competent and acceptable strategies for remediating distress for young people in Afghanistan.
He takes great pride in his research given his belief that research can be used to advocate for and protect vulnerable groups, and just as importantly, because it facilitates the learning and training of future behavioral scientists in his capacity as an Associate Professor of research methods in LLU's Department of Social Work & Social Ecology.