Behavioral scientists have long researched how to help children cope with extreme adversity – such as poverty or exposure to violence. Yanping Jiang, a researcher at the Rutgers Institute for Health, thinks she’s found the answer in rural China.
Building on previous studies of children in China whose parents are living with HIV or have died from AIDS-related complications, Jiang analyzed the efficacy of resilience-based interventions on mental and behavioral health in children. She found that simultaneously focusing on kids, caregivers and community members produces better outcomes than interventions that focus on children in isolation. The study is published in the Journal of Child and Family Studies. To read the full story.