Josephine Pui-Hing Wong
Biographic Data
| ID | 1737442 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Josephine Pui-Hing Wong |
| GIVEN NAMES | Josephine Pui-Hing |
| FAMILY NAME | Wong |
| SIGNATURE | WONG J P |
| AFFILIATIONS | Toronto Metropolitan University |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-8262-7725 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 41 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 37 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 41 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2005 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
Does Cultural Conceptualisation of Empowerment Matter in Mental Health Promotion? Insights From the Linking Hearts Project
Empowerment has been applied as conceptual guidance for mental health promotion since the 1970s. Evidence from decades of cross‐cultural research has established that empowerment is a socially and culturally constituted construct whose mechanisms vary across different social, political and institutional contexts. However, how these variations shape implementation in practice, particularly in non‐Western settings with distinctive socio‐political c…
Restorative Storytelling for Migrants’ and Refugees’ Mental Wellbeing and Community Empowerment in Canada
Storytelling is a widely used method in community-based research. We conducted a scoping review to explore restorative storytelling and community theatre as a tool to support mental health literacy and wellness as well as equity among immigrant communities. Our review followed the methodological framework espoused by Arksey and O’Malley and modified by Levac et al . All 13 peer-reviewed studies that met the inclusion criteria were conducted in Ca…
Pathways to breaking the cycle of HIV stigma
15) took part in two gender-based, online focus groups. Based on thematic analysis, we identified five overarching themes: (1) daily challenges with HIV stigma; (2) mental and behavioral repercussions of HIV stigma; (3) turning points and positive coping strategies; (4) systemic and intersecting barriers; and (5) changes through education and peer support. Participants described stigma as a chronic and multifaceted experience that detrimentally a…
Awareness, acceptance, and impact of undetectable equals untransmittable (U = U) among people living with HIV across Canada
Undetectable equals Untransmittable (U = U) is a pivotal tool for HIV prevention, stigma reduction, and improving quality of life for people living with HIV. This study examined awareness, acceptance, and impact of U = U among people living with HIV across Canada, and explored differences across sociodemographic characteristics. From 2018-2024, 1,083 participants were recruited in-person and online using snowball sampling. Peer researchers conduc…
Comparison of suicidal behavior among Chinese university students before and during the Covid-19 pandemic
This study explores the changes in suicidal behavior among Chinese university students before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The prevalence of lifetime suicide plan, lifetime suicidal ideation, and 12-month suicidal ideation among Chinese university students was higher during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to before the pandemic. The prevalence of lifetime suicidal ideation did not increase among students with high family economic status, wher…
Exploring anti-Black racism and mental health equity in Canada
HIV testing among heterosexual Black men in Toronto
Everyday racism experiences, healthcare access, and self-rated health
Between cultures and traditions
Immigrant adolescents in Canada face challenges accessing accurate sexual and reproductive health (SRH) information and services. Many challenges stem from taboos associated with SRH, cultural and religious restrictions, and social beliefs regarding the unnecessity of SRH education for adolescents. We explored the SRH experiences of immigrant adolescents in the context of their cultural and religious perspectives. We engaged adolescents as collab…
Empowering Chinese university health service providers to become mental health champions
We found that it is critical to integrate empowerment education into professional training. The process of MHSPs developing their empowerment practice is characterized by their moving from individual to collective empowerment along a continuum, with organizational and collective empowerment taking place in a longer time frame. Experiential learning, empathy education, and critical reflection accelerated the continuous iterative transformative pro…
Who is helping students? A qualitative analysis of task-shifting and on-campus mental health services in China's university settings
The Mediating Effect of Stress between Extracurricular Activities and Suicidal Ideation in Chinese College Students
Extracurricular activities indirectly predict college students' suicidal ideation through stress. A variety of extracurricular activities can decrease the stress and suicidal ideation of college students and benefit their mental health
Effectiveness of family-centred sexual health education and HPV self-sampling in promoting cervical cancer screening among hard-to-reach indian women in rural and tribal areas
The implementation of HPV-SS coupled with family-centered arts-based and culturally appropriate SHE is highly promising in promoting cervical cancer screening among hard-to-reach women. Evidence from our study can be used to advance public health policies and inform the scale-up of similar initiatives in other villages and states across rural India and other LMICs
Black heterosexual men’s resilience in times of HIV adversity
Based on these findings, there is an urgent need for HIV policy stakeholders, including service providers, to engage the ACB community in the design of intervention programs. Additionally, addressing the socioeconomic disadvantages faced by ACB communities will increase the capacity of ACB men to develop resilience against HIV
Chinese University Students’ Perspectives on Help-Seeking and Mental Health Counseling
Psychological distress and mental illness have become increasingly pervasive among Chinese university students. However, many university students who need mental health treatment or psychological support do not actively seek help from professional counselors or service providers, which could lead to poor mental health outcomes. To promote help-seeking, we undertook a qualitative study to understand Chinese university students' perspectives on hel…
More than Mental Illness
From existing empirical research, we identified that Chinese college students commonly experience stigma surrounding mental illness and found some factors that support them in resisting the stigma and achieving psychological health. However, less research provides qualitative data involving individual experiences and insights on mental illness within this group of college students. This study, based on Linking Hearts (an internationally cooperati…
Immigrant generational status and the uptake of HIV screening services among heterosexual men of African descent in Canada
HIV prevention policies may need not only prioritize first-generation immigrants, but the wellbeing of their descendants as well. This could be achieved by implementing programs that will enhance second-generation immigrants' use of HIV screening services. Additionally, HIV educational programs would be of relevance and especially so as respondents with good knowledge of HIV transmission consistently demonstrated higher likelihood of testing for …
Universal health coverage and public-private arrangements within Sri Lanka's mixed health system
Association between Mental Health Knowledge Level and Depressive Symptoms among Chinese College Students
This study aimed to explore the association between mental health knowledge level and the prevalence of depressive symptoms among Chinese college students. A cross-sectional study was conducted in six universities in Jinan, Shandong Province, China, and a total of 600 college students were recruited to self-complete a series of questionnaires. The Mental Health Knowledge Questionnaire (MHKQ) was used to investigate the level of mental health know…
I went in there, had a bit of an issue with those folks”
The findings suggest that, to enhance preventive health service use among heterosexual ACB men, there is the need to remove structural barriers. Engaging ACB men in the design and implementation of policies may be useful at improving access to HIV information, testing, and treatment services. Increased information dissemination to ACB men would create awareness of the availability of HIV services. Finally, service providers should be conscious of…
Transnational contexts and local embeddedness of HIV/STI vulnerabilities among Thai and Filipino agricultural temporary foreign workers in Canada
Each year Canada approves about 70,000 agricultural temporary foreign worker positions. However, few studies have examined temporary foreign workers' sexual health. In this mixed-methods study, we used surveys and focus groups to explore the knowledge of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STI), sexual behaviours and the perspectives of sexual health of 100 Thai and Filipino temporary foreign workers in southwestern Ontario, Canada. The find…
Concurrent sexual partnerships and HIV testing among heterosexual Black men in Ontario, Canada
These findings align with the theoretical constructs of the health belief model but more importantly, they suggest heterosexual Black men with concurrent sexual partners may be aware of their HIV risk and are taking measures to know their serostatus. Hence, making HIV screening services accessible and at safer spaces could increase their use of HIV screening services
Sexual Debut Among Heterosexual Men of African and Caribbean Descent
Knowledge of sexual partner’s HIV serostatus and the practice of safer sex among heterosexual men of African descent in London, Ontario
Objective: Poor knowledge of sexual partners' HIV status is a major contributing factor in the heterosexual spread of HIV in Canada. This study examined knowledge of sexual partner's HIV serostatus and the practice of safer sex among self-identified heterosexual African, Caribbean and Black (ACB) men in London, Ontario. Design: A cross-sectional data was collected from 156 heterosexual ACB men in London. The negative log-log link function was fit…
Examining Different Strategies for Stigma Reduction and Mental Health Promotion in Asian Men in Toronto
Migrant Live-in Caregivers Mental Health in Canada
An Intersectional Approach to HIV Vulnerabilities and Testing Among Heterosexual African Caribbean and Black Men in London, Ontario
Knowledge of sexual partner’s HIV serostatus and the practice of safer sex among heterosexual men of African descent in London, Ontario
Objective: Poor knowledge of sexual partners' HIV status is a major contributing factor in the heterosexual spread of HIV in Canada. This study examined knowledge of sexual partner's HIV serostatus and the practice of safer sex among self-identified heterosexual African, Caribbean and Black (ACB) men in London, Ontario. Design: A cross-sectional data was collected from 156 heterosexual ACB men in London. The negative log-log link function was fit…
Psychosocial Experiences of East and Southeast Asian Men Who Use Gay Internet Chatrooms in Toronto
Objectives In recent years we have witnessed an increase in Asian men who use gay Internet chatrooms in Toronto. Previous research has shown that many men who had sex with men (MSM) sought sex partners through the Internet and that meeting sex partners via the Internet increases sexually transmitted infection (STI) and HIV risk. This study aims to (1) explore psychosocial issues relating to Asian men who use gay chatrooms and (2) identify cultura…
Queer-friendly nation? The experience of Chinese gay immigrants in Canada
In the past decade, the People’s Republic of China has become the leading source country of immigrants to Canada. However, little is known about the experience of Chinese gay immigrants in Canada. Using narratives collected through a qualitative study, we show the way in which Chinese gay men construct their experience of immigration in Canada. Unlike the national discourse that claims Canada is a friendly nation for members of the LGBTTQ communi…
Concurrent sexual partnerships and HIV testing among heterosexual Black men in Ontario, Canada
These findings align with the theoretical constructs of the health belief model but more importantly, they suggest heterosexual Black men with concurrent sexual partners may be aware of their HIV risk and are taking measures to know their serostatus. Hence, making HIV screening services accessible and at safer spaces could increase their use of HIV screening services
Sexual Debut Among Heterosexual Men of African and Caribbean Descent
I tend to forget bad things
Distress among young immigrant and refugee men has drawn increasing research attention in recent years. Nuanced understandings of distress are needed to inform mental health and public health programming. The purpose of this research was to examine distress from the perspectives of young immigrant and refugee men living in Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Thirty-three young men (aged 15-22 years) from diverse immigrant and refugee bac…
Who is helping students? A qualitative analysis of task-shifting and on-campus mental health services in China's university settings
Immigrant generational status and the uptake of HIV screening services among heterosexual men of African descent in Canada
HIV prevention policies may need not only prioritize first-generation immigrants, but the wellbeing of their descendants as well. This could be achieved by implementing programs that will enhance second-generation immigrants' use of HIV screening services. Additionally, HIV educational programs would be of relevance and especially so as respondents with good knowledge of HIV transmission consistently demonstrated higher likelihood of testing for …
Examining Different Strategies for Stigma Reduction and Mental Health Promotion in Asian Men in Toronto
Exploring mental illness stigma among Asian men mobilized to become Community Mental Health Ambassadors in Toronto Canada
Our findings underscore the importance of engaging both community leaders and people with lived experience as mental health advocates to address stigma
The Exclusionary Circle Game
The game has been used, beyond the intervention study, at research conferences with positive feedback. In this article, we detail the processes, strengths, and possibility of using this game for empowerment education
Psychosocial Experiences of East and Southeast Asian Men Who Use Gay Internet Chatrooms in Toronto
Objectives In recent years we have witnessed an increase in Asian men who use gay Internet chatrooms in Toronto. Previous research has shown that many men who had sex with men (MSM) sought sex partners through the Internet and that meeting sex partners via the Internet increases sexually transmitted infection (STI) and HIV risk. This study aims to (1) explore psychosocial issues relating to Asian men who use gay chatrooms and (2) identify cultura…
Bringing Translation Out of the Shadows
Translation is an integral component of cross-cultural research that has remained invisible. It is commonly assumed that translation is an objective and neutral process, in which the translators are “technicians” in producing texts in different languages. Drawing from the field of translation studies and the findings of a translation exercise conducted with three bilingual Cantonese-English translators, the authors highlight some of the methodolo…
Challenging homophobia and heterosexism through storytelling and critical dialogue among Hong Kong Chinese immigrant parents in Toronto
Homophobia and heterosexism are ubiquitous in Canadian society. They contribute to significant health and mental health disparities for lesbian, gay and bisexual youth and their families. Anti-homophobia efforts tend to focus on students and teachers at school. While these efforts are important, they do not reach parents, who play an important role in shaping young people's attitudes towards gender and sexuality. To eliminate bullying and victimi…
Sustainable capacity building among immigrant communities
The Raising Sexually Healthy Children (RSHC) program is a peer-to-peer leadership training program for immigrant parents in Toronto, Canada. It was established in 1998 with the goal of promoting family sex education and parent-child communication. This evaluative study examined the developmental processes and outcomes of the RSHC program to identify the strengths, challenges and insights that can be used to improve the program. It employed a mult…
Changing access to mental health care and social support when people living with HIV/Aids become service providers
As people living with HIV/AIDS (PHAs) achieve more stable health, many have taken on active peer support and professional roles within AIDS service organizations. Although the increased engagement has been associated with many improved health outcomes, emerging program and research evidence have identified new challenges associated with such transition. This paper reports on the results of a qualitative interpretive study that explored the effect…
The Exclusionary Circle Game
The game has been used, beyond the intervention study, at research conferences with positive feedback. In this article, we detail the processes, strengths, and possibility of using this game for empowerment education
Caught between a rock and a hard place
A multi-faceted approach is required to improve the working and living conditions of this vulnerable group and ultimately their health outcomes. We recommend the following: government inspection to ensure employer compliance with the labour standards and provision of safe working and living conditions; change immigration policy to allow migrant caregivers to apply for permanent residence upon arrival; the TFWs Program to establish fair wages and …
Queer-friendly nation? The experience of Chinese gay immigrants in Canada
In the past decade, the People’s Republic of China has become the leading source country of immigrants to Canada. However, little is known about the experience of Chinese gay immigrants in Canada. Using narratives collected through a qualitative study, we show the way in which Chinese gay men construct their experience of immigration in Canada. Unlike the national discourse that claims Canada is a friendly nation for members of the LGBTTQ communi…
Effects Of HIV stigma reduction interventions in diasporic communities
Racialized diasporic communities in Canada experience disproportionate burden of HIV infection. Their increased vulnerabilities are associated with interlocking challenges, including barriers in accessing resources, migration and settlement stress, and systemic exclusion. Further, people living with HIV (PLHIV) in these diasporic communities face stigma and discrimination in both mainstream Canadian society as well as their own ethno-racial commu…
Migrant Live-in Caregivers Mental Health in Canada
We’re all brave pioneers on this road’
Despite significant engagement with new and emerging issues in public health practice, the public health literature has few theoretical explanations for how new practices emerge, take root, and become institutionalized. In this contribution, we utilize Pierre Bourdieu’s sociological concepts of field, habitus and capital, and in-depth interviews with public health practitioners to document and describe the emerging field of public health adaptati…
Masculine identity, street capital and sexual practices of a Chinese young man in Canada
Chinese people are currently the second largest visible minority group living in Canada; however, little is known about the sexual practices of Chinese youth living in Canada. Using a case study, we applied Bourdieu’s theory of social practise to illustrate how the sexual practices of a young Chinese immigrant man, Matthew, were shaped by his primary and secondary habituses, the cultural capital he held and competed for in each of the social fiel…
Development and Implementation of Peer Leader Training for Community-Based Participatory Sexual Health Research
The SSSH peer research training program was effective. Peer leaders demonstrated effectiveness in liaising with partner agencies, engaging South Asian women in sexual health discussion, completing CBPR activities and team building. Knowledge generated can be applied in CBPR with other racialized women populations
Exploring mental illness stigma among Asian men mobilized to become Community Mental Health Ambassadors in Toronto Canada
Our findings underscore the importance of engaging both community leaders and people with lived experience as mental health advocates to address stigma
I tend to forget bad things
Distress among young immigrant and refugee men has drawn increasing research attention in recent years. Nuanced understandings of distress are needed to inform mental health and public health programming. The purpose of this research was to examine distress from the perspectives of young immigrant and refugee men living in Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Thirty-three young men (aged 15-22 years) from diverse immigrant and refugee bac…
Knowledge of sexual partner’s HIV serostatus and the practice of safer sex among heterosexual men of African descent in London, Ontario
Objective: Poor knowledge of sexual partners' HIV status is a major contributing factor in the heterosexual spread of HIV in Canada. This study examined knowledge of sexual partner's HIV serostatus and the practice of safer sex among self-identified heterosexual African, Caribbean and Black (ACB) men in London, Ontario. Design: A cross-sectional data was collected from 156 heterosexual ACB men in London. The negative log-log link function was fit…
Examining Different Strategies for Stigma Reduction and Mental Health Promotion in Asian Men in Toronto
An Intersectional Approach to HIV Vulnerabilities and Testing Among Heterosexual African Caribbean and Black Men in London, Ontario
Association between Mental Health Knowledge Level and Depressive Symptoms among Chinese College Students
This study aimed to explore the association between mental health knowledge level and the prevalence of depressive symptoms among Chinese college students. A cross-sectional study was conducted in six universities in Jinan, Shandong Province, China, and a total of 600 college students were recruited to self-complete a series of questionnaires. The Mental Health Knowledge Questionnaire (MHKQ) was used to investigate the level of mental health know…
I went in there, had a bit of an issue with those folks”
The findings suggest that, to enhance preventive health service use among heterosexual ACB men, there is the need to remove structural barriers. Engaging ACB men in the design and implementation of policies may be useful at improving access to HIV information, testing, and treatment services. Increased information dissemination to ACB men would create awareness of the availability of HIV services. Finally, service providers should be conscious of…
Transnational contexts and local embeddedness of HIV/STI vulnerabilities among Thai and Filipino agricultural temporary foreign workers in Canada
Each year Canada approves about 70,000 agricultural temporary foreign worker positions. However, few studies have examined temporary foreign workers' sexual health. In this mixed-methods study, we used surveys and focus groups to explore the knowledge of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STI), sexual behaviours and the perspectives of sexual health of 100 Thai and Filipino temporary foreign workers in southwestern Ontario, Canada. The find…
Concurrent sexual partnerships and HIV testing among heterosexual Black men in Ontario, Canada
These findings align with the theoretical constructs of the health belief model but more importantly, they suggest heterosexual Black men with concurrent sexual partners may be aware of their HIV risk and are taking measures to know their serostatus. Hence, making HIV screening services accessible and at safer spaces could increase their use of HIV screening services
Sexual Debut Among Heterosexual Men of African and Caribbean Descent
Chinese University Students’ Perspectives on Help-Seeking and Mental Health Counseling
Psychological distress and mental illness have become increasingly pervasive among Chinese university students. However, many university students who need mental health treatment or psychological support do not actively seek help from professional counselors or service providers, which could lead to poor mental health outcomes. To promote help-seeking, we undertook a qualitative study to understand Chinese university students' perspectives on hel…
More than Mental Illness
From existing empirical research, we identified that Chinese college students commonly experience stigma surrounding mental illness and found some factors that support them in resisting the stigma and achieving psychological health. However, less research provides qualitative data involving individual experiences and insights on mental illness within this group of college students. This study, based on Linking Hearts (an internationally cooperati…
Medicine (28 works) · Psychology (25 works) · Sociology (25 works) · Political science (18 works) · Psychiatry (15 works) · Gender Studies (14 works) · Mental health (14 works) · Gender Studies (12 works) · HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions (12 works) · Gerontology (11 works)