Pamela J Surkan
Biographic Data
| ID | 106717 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Pamela J Surkan |
| GIVEN NAMES | Pamela J |
| FAMILY NAME | Surkan |
| SIGNATURE | SURKAN P J |
| AFFILIATIONS | Johns Hopkins University |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-0334-5931 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 115 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 92 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 115 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2006 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 6 |
Psychosocial Challenges Faced by Women After Perinatal Loss in Pakistan and the Need for Supportive Interpregnancy Care
Persistent postpartum depressive symptoms and developmental impairment in Bangladeshi children: A cohort study
Background: Optimal child development across cognitive, language, and motor domains is essential for long-term health and well-being. Postpartum depression has been linked to adverse child developmental outcomes, but evidence on the impact of persistent postpartum depressive symptoms (PPDS) across these domains and over time remains limited, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Methods: We retrieved data from the Alliance for Materna…
“A chance to open my heart”: Protective factors for mental health in left-behind family members of Nepalese labor migrants and their implications for future psychosocial interventions
Labor migration is prevalent in Nepal, however, the psychosocial impacts on left-behind families remain underexplored. This study aims to address this gap by examining the lived experiences, coping mechanisms, and social dynamics of left-behind family members in Chitwan District, Nepal. This qualitative study employed a modified phenomenological approach, incorporating in-depth interviews (n = 18) and two focus groups (n = 11) with left-behind fa…
Biopsychosocial Stressors and Perinatal Mental Health: The Mediating Role of Social Support in a Pakistani Cohort
Perinatal common mental health disorders (CMDs) remain major yet under-recognized public health concerns in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), where women face a dual burden of biological vulnerability and social adversity.This longitudinal cohort study provides rare integrated evidence from Pakistan demonstrating that readily measurable and highly prevalent nutritional deficiencies, particularly low hemoglobin and vitamin D levels, signifi…
Associations between exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) and infant developmental delay: Moderating role of women’s empowerment at six weeks postpartum
Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a significant threat to women’s wellbeing and child development, particularly in lower- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Despite its prevalence, research in LMICs on the effects of IPV on child development remains limited. This study investigates the association between IPV and different domains of child development as well as the moderating role of women’s empowerment. Participants included 397 women with a…
Acceptability of an e-mental health self-help intervention aiming to improve psychological distress among persons experiencing unstable housing in France
Receipt of a psychosocial intervention for prenatal anxiety and risk of perinatal intimate partner violence in Pakistani women
Mental health and intimate partner violence (IPV) are urgent public health problems in the perinatal period. We examined whether a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) intervention designed to lower prenatal anxiety led to differing risk of perinatal IPV between the intervention and control arms. We investigated if social support or spousal relationship quality in the third trimester mediated this association. The analysis included 755 pregnant Pak…
Okweraliikirira and Okwenyamira: Idioms of Psychological Distress Among People Living with HIV in Rakai, Uganda
The Association of Spousal Relationship Quality and Social Support With Maternal‐Infant Bonding: Moderating Roles of Maternal Age and Paternal Occupation
This study examined associations between spousal relationship quality and social support with mother‐infant bonding among women in Rawalpindi, Pakistan (Intervention Arm: n = 352, M age = 25.1, SD = 4.7; Control Arm: n = 358, M age = 25.3, SD = 4.5). We used cross‐sectional data from the Happy Mother‐Healthy Baby intervention study, a randomized controlled trial conducted between 2019 and 2022. Women were enrolled at their first prenatal visit (a…
Locked down, locked out: A cross-sectional study on experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV) and barriers to formal and informal support during Covid-19 lockdowns in Ontario
The COVID-19 pandemic intensified pre-existing social and health inequities, with individuals actively experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) facing heightened risks and barriers to support. While lockdowns were necessary for public health, they also increased isolation and limited access to essential formal and informal supports. This study explores the association between IPV experienced during Ontario’s COVID-19 lockdowns (March 2020–Jun…
Guardians Looking From Outside: Gendered Experiences of Labor Migration and Psychosocial Health Among Nepalese Migrant Fathers and Left-Behind Mothers
Nepalese migrant workers are at heightened risk of adverse mental health problems. However, the social mechanisms by which experiences of labor migration create such vulnerabilities are not well understood. Moreover, limited attention has been paid to the experiences of left-behind spouses. This study explores how migrant fathers and left-behind mothers experience labor migration and how migration affects mental health across migrant household me…
The Intersectional Influence of Experienced Stigma on Clinically Significant Depressive Symptoms Among Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men
We sought to determine how intersectional stigma, operationalized by interactions of perceived stigma experiences in adulthood attributed to various social identities/characteristics (age, gender, race, ethnicity/nationality, religion, height/weight, other aspect of appearance [unrelated to the identities/characteristics listed-e.g. height/weight/race/gender], physical disability, sexual orientation, and HIV status), associates with clinically si…
Exploring preference for delivery methods for a psychosocial intervention for prenatal anxiety: A qualitative study from a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan
This study underscores the need for adaptable intervention delivery strategies that consider cultural norms, logistical challenges, and individual family dynamics. By combining the benefits of both delivery methods, mental health interventions can be optimized to effectively address prenatal anxiety and promote well-being in resource-constrained settings like Pakistan
Social Support and Spousal Relationship Quality Improves Responsiveness among Anxious Mothers
I am really scared for the future’: Climate distress among Brazilian youth
Give and take is the key”: Reciprocity leads to psychological well-being of North Korean refugees in South Korea
Self-reported problems and functional difficulties in anxious pregnant women in Pakistan: The use of a patient-generated mental health outcome measure
Anxiety during pregnancy affects women worldwide and is highly prevalent in Pakistan. The Psychological Outcome Profiles (PSYCHLOPS) questionnaire is an instrument used in therapy to assess patient-generated problems and the consequent functional difficulties. Using the PSYCHLOPS, we aimed to describe the type of problems and the consequent functional difficulties faced by anxious pregnant women in Pakistan. Secondarily, we sought to explore if a…
Female genital mutilation/cutting and psychological distress among Somali women in the United States
How do North Korean refugees in South Korea utilize social support to cope with acculturative stress
Geographic resettlement induces acculturative stress in refugees. In response, they utilize social support to deal with acculturative stress and to adapt to the host community. In this study we sought to understand how North Korean refugees (NKRs) utilize social support to reduce acculturative stress. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 30 NKRs in South Korea and 20 SKs who were friends or acquaintances of NKRs. Purposive and snowballing…
Perceived Social Support and Women’s Empowerment and Their Associations with Pregnancy Experiences in Anxious Women: A Study from Urban Pakistan
Understanding Nepali widows' experiences for the adaptation of an instrument to assess Prolonged Grief Disorder
The experience of grief varies across different cultures and contexts. Women in Nepal who lose their husbands confront discrimination, social isolation, and abuse that influence their experience of grief. Through eight focus group discussions with Nepali widows, we elicited socially sanctioned grief reactions and local idioms used to describe common cognitive, behavioral, and emotional symptoms of grief. Accordingly, modifications to an existing …
Cultural adaptation and psychometric validation of the Pregnancy Experience Scale–Brief version (PES-Brief) in Pakistani women with antenatal anxiety symptoms
Background: Pregnancy experiences influence fetal and birth outcomes. There is scarcity of locally validated tools to assess pregnancy experiences. We aimed to validate the Pregnancy Experience Scale-Brief (PES-Brief) in pregnant Pakistani women with anxiety symptoms. Methods: A two-step process was used including 1) adaptation via translation/back-translation followed by cognitive interviewing with 10 participants and 2) factor analysis and vali…
Social determinants of impaired functioning among Nepali widows: A mixed methods study
Despite considerable stigmatisation of widows in Nepal, little is known about factors affecting their ability to function in society. Using mixed methods, we studied psychosocial factors associated with impaired functioning among Nepali widows. For the qualitative analysis, we analysed 3 focus groups, 25 in-depth interviews, and 12 key-informant interviews. The quantitative analysis was based on data from 204 widows. Odds ratios were calculated l…
Are Social Vulnerability and Family Social Support Associated with Children’s Psychiatric Symptoms
Joint Roles of Oxytocin- and Dopamine-Related Genes and Childhood Parenting Experience in Maternal Supportive Social Network
Child as change agent. The potential of children to increase healthy food purchasing
Maternal social and pyschological conditions and physical growth in low-income children in Piauí, Northeast Brazil
The mental health and psychosocial effects of organized violence: A qualitative study in northern Haiti
Historically, organized violence has been a chronic pervasive problem in Haiti. We set out to elicit Haitians' views on its effects to guide the development of interventions. In March 2006 we studied a population in the slum area of Cap-Haitien, Haiti's second largest city, and the nearby towns of Milot and Limbe. A convenience sample of adults was asked to free list all current problems affecting victims of organized violence. Two major categori…
A Framework for Understanding Grocery Purchasing in a Low-Income Urban Environment
Research demonstrates that food desert environments limit low-income shoppers' ability to purchase healthy foods, thereby increasing their likelihood of diet-related illnesses. We sought to understand how individuals in an urban American food desert make grocery-purchasing decisions, and specifically why unhealthy purchases arise. Analysis is based on ethnographic data from participant observation, 37 in-depth interviews, and three focus groups w…
Power and pro-poor policies: The case of iCCM in Niger
Analyses of health policy in low- and middle-income countries frequently mention but rarely adequately explore power dynamics, whether or not the policy in question targets the poor. We present a case study in Niger of integrated community case management (iCCM), a policy to provide basic care for poor rural children sick with malaria, diarrhoea and pneumonia, which has contributed to measurable reductions in child mortality. We focus on the thre…
Psychosocial support intervention for HIV-affected families in Haiti: Implications for programs and policies for orphans and vulnerable children
Maternal Depressive Symptoms, Parenting Self-Efficacy, and Child Growth
Objectives. We assessed whether maternal depressive symptoms and parenting self-efficacy were associated with child growth delay. Methods. We collected data from a random sample of 595 low-income mothers and their children aged 6 to 24 months in Teresina, Piauí, Brazil, including information on sociodemographic characteristics, mothers’ depressive symptoms and parenting self-efficacy, and children’s anthropometric characteristics. We used adjuste…
Lifetime Prevalence and Sociodemographic Correlates of Multifactorial Discrimination Among Middle-Aged and Older Adult Men Who Have Sex with Men
This study describes multifactorial discrimination (discrimination attributed to multiple social identities) among middle-aged and older adult MSM. MSM aged 40+ years (N = 1,193) enrolled in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study completed behavioral surveys ascertaining experiences of discrimination and their social identity attributions. Non-proportional odds regressions assessed multifactorial discrimination by age, race/ethnicity, HIV status, and …
Knowledge and power in policy-making for child survival in Niger
Childhood overweight and maternal depressive symptoms
AIM: Given the rising global prevalence of overweight associated with the nutrition transition, the objective of this study was to evaluate whether maternal depressive symptoms are related to overweight in infants aged 6-24 months. METHODS: Participants in this cross-sectional study included 589 mother-child dyads from low-income urban communities in Teresina, Piauí, northeast Brazil. While adjusting for sociodemographic and biological determinan…
Resilience Among Nepali Widows After the Death of a Spouse: That Was My Past and Now I Have to See My Present
Responses to the death of a spouse vary; although some are at increased risk of poorer physical and mental health outcomes, others have more resilient responses. In light of the limited scope of research on widows' experiences in Nepal, a setting where widows are often marginalized, we explore themes of resilience in Nepali widows' lives. Drawing from a larger qualitative study of grief and widowhood, a thematic narrative analysis was performed o…
Understanding Nepali widows' experiences for the adaptation of an instrument to assess Prolonged Grief Disorder
The experience of grief varies across different cultures and contexts. Women in Nepal who lose their husbands confront discrimination, social isolation, and abuse that influence their experience of grief. Through eight focus group discussions with Nepali widows, we elicited socially sanctioned grief reactions and local idioms used to describe common cognitive, behavioral, and emotional symptoms of grief. Accordingly, modifications to an existing …
Whatever you hide, also hides you: A discourse analysis on mental health and service use in an American community of Somalis
Stability of Bisexual Behavior and Extent of Viral Bridging Behavior Among Men Who Have Sex with Men and Women
Parenting styles and emerging adult drug use in Cebu, the Philippines
Parenting style is a potent and malleable influence on emerging adult substance use. Most of the parenting-substance use literature has been conducted in Western populations and it is unknown whether findings are generalizable to other cultures and contexts. We extended the parenting-substance use literature to a cohort of emerging adults in the Philippines using the Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Survey. We assessed associations between …
Those whom I have to talk to, I can't talk to’: Perceived social isolation in the context of anxiety symptoms among pregnant women in Pakistan
Anxiety during pregnancy is highly prevalent in low- and middle-income countries. The relative importance of different sources and types of perceived support in the Pakistani context is unknown. We explored social support during pregnancy and the role of social isolation in Pakistani women's experiences of antenatal anxiety. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 19 pregnant women with symptoms of anxiety and 10 female healthcare providers …
Effects of a School-Based Drug Prevention Program on Sexual Risk Behavior Among Adolescents in Brazilian Schools
Access to integrated community case management of childhood illnesses services in rural Ethiopia: A qualitative study of the perspectives and experiences of caregivers
BACKGROUND: In 2010, Ethiopia began scaling up the integrated community case management (iCCM) of childhood illness strategy throughout the country allowing health extension workers (HEWs) to treat children in rural health posts. After 2 years of iCCM scale up, utilization of HEWs remains low. Little is known about factors related to the use of health services in this setting. This research aimed to elicit perceptions and experiences of caregiver…
They Just Say Organic Food Is Healthier: Perceptions of Healthy Food among Supermarket Shoppers in Southwest Baltimore
To discover how organic food factors into low-income consumers' overall understanding of healthy eating, we analyzed 36 in-depth interviews with adults in Baltimore, Maryland. We asked participants to discuss their understanding of healthy eating. Unprompted, many participants discussed organic food or attributes commonly understood to define organic food. Some participants believed health issues including cancer, weight gain, and allergies can a…
The Role of Social Networks and Support in Postpartum Women's Depression: A Multiethnic Urban Sample
Maternal social and pyschological conditions and physical growth in low-income children in Piauí, Northeast Brazil
Childhood overweight and maternal depressive symptoms
AIM: Given the rising global prevalence of overweight associated with the nutrition transition, the objective of this study was to evaluate whether maternal depressive symptoms are related to overweight in infants aged 6-24 months. METHODS: Participants in this cross-sectional study included 589 mother-child dyads from low-income urban communities in Teresina, Piauí, northeast Brazil. While adjusting for sociodemographic and biological determinan…
Maternal Depressive Symptoms, Parenting Self-Efficacy, and Child Growth
Objectives. We assessed whether maternal depressive symptoms and parenting self-efficacy were associated with child growth delay. Methods. We collected data from a random sample of 595 low-income mothers and their children aged 6 to 24 months in Teresina, Piauí, Brazil, including information on sociodemographic characteristics, mothers’ depressive symptoms and parenting self-efficacy, and children’s anthropometric characteristics. We used adjuste…
Inadequate Use of Prenatal Services Among Brazilian Women: The Role of Maternal Characteristics
CONTEXT: To improve the uptake of prenatal care it is important to know how the use of prenatal care varies by maternal attitudes and social and demographic factors. METHODS: Information about social and demographic variables prenatal care parity pregnancy planning abortion attempts satisfaction with pregnancy and satisfaction with the relationship with the childs father was collected from 611 postpartum women in Porto Alegre in southern Brazil. …
Perceived discrimination and stigma toward children affected by HIV/Aids and their HIV-positive caregivers in central Haiti
In many settings worldwide, HIV-positive individuals have experienced a significant level of stigma and discrimination. This discrimination may also impact other family members affected by the disease, including children. The aim of our study was to identify factors associated with stigma and/or discrimination among HIV-affected youth and their HIV-positive caregivers in central Haiti. Recruitment of HIV-positive patients with children aged 10-17…
Impact of a Health Promotion Intervention on Maternal Depressive Symptoms at 15 months Postpartum
Maternal depression and early childhood growth in developing countries: Systematic review and meta-analysis
Filipino Women's Tuberculosis Care Seeking Experience in an Urban Poor Setting: A Socioecological Perspective
Urban, poor Filipino women tend to delay seeking care for tuberculosis (TB), which increases their risk for morbidity and mortality. We interviewed 13 women and conducted three focus group discussions to characterize their TB care seeking pathways and identify the barriers and facilitators that influence care seeking at multiple levels. The quality of health services, shame associated with TB, financial insecurity, and familial responsibilities h…
Healthy food purchasing among African American youth: Associations with child gender, adult caregiver characteristics and the home food environment
Objective To examine how factors related to the home food environment and individual characteristics are associated with healthy food purchasing among low-income African American (AA) youth. Subjects A total of 206 AA youth (ninety-one boys and 115 girls), aged 10–14 years, and their primary adult caregivers. Setting Fourteen Baltimore recreation centres in low-income neighbourhoods. Design Cross-sectional study. We collected information about fo…
Delineating Interpersonal Communication Networks: A Study of the Diffusion of an Intervention Among Female Entertainment Workers in Shanghai, China
Psychosocial support intervention for HIV-affected families in Haiti: Implications for programs and policies for orphans and vulnerable children
The mental health and psychosocial effects of organized violence: A qualitative study in northern Haiti
Historically, organized violence has been a chronic pervasive problem in Haiti. We set out to elicit Haitians' views on its effects to guide the development of interventions. In March 2006 we studied a population in the slum area of Cap-Haitien, Haiti's second largest city, and the nearby towns of Milot and Limbe. A convenience sample of adults was asked to free list all current problems affecting victims of organized violence. Two major categori…
Literacy and healthcare-seeking among women with low educational attainment: Analysis of cross-sectional data from the 2011 Nepal demographic and health survey
Further research should be undertaken to determine whether targeted literacy programs for those past normal schooling age lead to improved healthcare-seeking among Nepali women with little or no formal education
Individual and contextual factors of influence on adherence to antiretrovirals among people attending public clinics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
This research highlights the importance of examining the multiple levels of influence on ARV adherence. Intervention research in lower and middle-income settings should address and evaluate the impact of attending to both gender and economic inequalities to improve ARV adherence, as well as relational areas such as the provision of social support
Parental Pregnancy Wantedness and Child Social-Emotional Development
Disclosure and Impact of Maternal HIV+ Serostatus on Mothers and Children in Rural Haiti
A Framework for Understanding Grocery Purchasing in a Low-Income Urban Environment
Research demonstrates that food desert environments limit low-income shoppers' ability to purchase healthy foods, thereby increasing their likelihood of diet-related illnesses. We sought to understand how individuals in an urban American food desert make grocery-purchasing decisions, and specifically why unhealthy purchases arise. Analysis is based on ethnographic data from participant observation, 37 in-depth interviews, and three focus groups w…
Non-disclosure of widowhood in Nepal: Implications for women and their children
Non-disclosure of significant or emotionally charged information can have psychological and physical health consequences. Widowhood in Nepal is highly stigmatised and therefore is a sensitive topic. This study sought to understand why and to whom women do not disclose their status as widows. Thematic content analysis of 31 in-depth interviews and 6 focus groups was conducted with primarily high-caste widows of reproductive age from the Kathmandu …
Unwanted childbearing and household food insecurity in the U nited S tates
Household food insecurity is a population health concern disproportionately affecting families with children in the United States. Unwanted childbearing may place unanticipated strain on families to meet basic needs, heightening the risk for household food insecurity. We investigated the association between mother's and father's report of unwanted childbearing and exposure to household food insecurity among children residing in two-parent househo…
Love, lust and the emotional context of multiple and concurrent sexual partnerships among young Swazi adults
Men and women in Swaziland who are engaged in multiple or concurrent sexual partnerships, or who have sexual partners with concurrent partners, face a very high risk of HIV infection. Ninety-four in-depth interviews were conducted with 28 Swazi men and women (14 of each sex) between the ages of 20 and 39 to explore participants' sexual partnership histories, including motivations for sexual relationships which carried high HIV risk. Concurrency w…
It's Like Big Mama's House”: Examining Extended Family Influences on the Dietary Behaviors of African American Children
The family environment plays an important role in influencing children's dietary behaviors. Traditionally, African American extended family members play a key role in child socialization. We examine the role of extended families in how children are socialized to adopt dietary norms. We conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 24 individuals across eight family units to elicit information regarding the influences of culture and families…
Child as change agent. The potential of children to increase healthy food purchasing
They Just Say Organic Food Is Healthier: Perceptions of Healthy Food among Supermarket Shoppers in Southwest Baltimore
To discover how organic food factors into low-income consumers' overall understanding of healthy eating, we analyzed 36 in-depth interviews with adults in Baltimore, Maryland. We asked participants to discuss their understanding of healthy eating. Unprompted, many participants discussed organic food or attributes commonly understood to define organic food. Some participants believed health issues including cancer, weight gain, and allergies can a…
Effects of syndemics on HIV viral load and medication adherence in the multicentre Aids cohort study
OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study is to determine associations between intertwining epidemics (syndemics) and HIV medication adherence and viral load levels among HIV-positive MSM and to test whether adherence mediates the relationship between syndemics and viral load. DESIGN: We analysed participant data collected between 2003 and 2009 from the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study, a prospective HIV/AIDS cohort study in four U.S. cities. METHODS:…
Medicine (91 works) · Psychology (77 works) · Psychiatry (53 works) · Sociology (37 works) · Demography (33 works) · Clinical Psychology (32 works) · Environmental health (32 works) · Social Psychology (31 works) · Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum (28 works) · Gerontology (26 works)