Loan Kim and Alumna Sydney Sauter Receive Award for Best Paper in the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Journal
Associate professor Loan Kim and Seaver College alumna Sydney Sauter (’20) were recognized
by the Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health (ACAMH) with the award for
“Best Paper in the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Journal.” The award recognizes their paper "Loneliness and friendlessness among adolescents
in 25 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean," published in 2019.
“We are so honored and feel so humbled to be recipients of this award. We were among the giants in the field of adolescent and child mental health research,” Kim shares.
Their article examined rates of self-reported loneliness and friendlessness in secondary school students in Latin America and the Caribbean. The analysis found that about one in six students reported being lonely most or all of the time and/or having no close friends. ACAMH shared that they appreciated how the researchers looked at rates in a region of the world lacking in mental health literature on adolescents.
“The high level of perceived loneliness in the adolescent population globally, including in low- and middle-income countries, is a critical public health issue,” Kim says. “In the work that I do as a public health researcher, data is powerful in drawing attention to a problem, and we leverage data to provide the rationale for solutions or interventions that bring about positive change in health outcomes. Particularly in low- and middle-income countries, there is a need for a greater research focus on the health and well-being of adolescents.”
The ACAMH Awards aim to recognize high-quality work in evidence-based science, both in publication and practice, in the field of child and adolescent mental health. To be nominated for an ACAMH Award is a prestigious recognition of those who are at the forefront of the advancement of child and adolescent mental health research and practice.
To learn more about the award and read their winning article, visit the Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health website.