Research Interests for Amy K. Sanchez

Faculty Mentor: Strauman; Sikkema

Research Interests:
My research centers around the impact of cultural factors on conceptualizing and coping with trauma. Specifically I am interested in how cultural context shapes the way people remember and react to negative experiences, and how this impacts HIV risk behaviors. I consider mental health, particularly traumatic stress, to be a major global health issue and I am interested in the development of culturally-tailored individual and community interventions, both domestically and internationally. My current projects, conducted in Durham, NC and Soweto, South Africa, explore (1) the relationship between cultural values and coping strategies in reaction to traumatic events and (2) mental health interventions as a component of culturally-informed HIV risk reduction and prevention. My clinical interests include neuropsychological assessment and cognitive-behavioral treatments, including dialectical behavior therapy.