About

Sana Malik, DrPH, MSW, MPH, is an Associate Professor at the Stony Brook University School of Social Welfare. Her educational background includes a Doctor of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, a Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, a Master of Social Work from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Social Work, and a Bachelor of Science in Biobehavioral Health from Pennsylvania State University. Her areas of interest encompass social determinants of health, international public health, health systems strengthening, health disparities among minority, immigrant, and refugee populations, health education and behavior, culturally and religiously tailored programming, maternal and child health and welfare, and program design and evaluation.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Psychology
• Psychiatry
• Political Science
• Business
• Environmental health
• Gerontology
• Clinical psychology
• Sociology
• Virology
• Social psychology
• Advertising
• Internal medicine
• Nursing
• Economic growth
• Geography
• Marketing
• Socioeconomics
• Economics
• Demography

Selected publications

• Reproductive Rights, Social Work, and the Fight for Justice in a Post-Roe America

  Social Work in Public Health · 2025-11-17

  editorial
  PublisherDOI

• HPV Vaccines Among University Students: Understanding Barriers and Facilitators of Vaccine Uptake

  Vaccines · 2024-12-10 · 11 citations

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection and plays a significant role in cervical, penile, anal, vaginal, vulvar, and oropharyngeal cancers as well as non-cancerous genital warts and genital dysplasia. In the United States, there are approximately 46,000 new HPV-related cancers a year. There is an effective vaccine to prevent over 90% of these cancers and other HPV-related diseases; however, those that are aged 18-26 have the lowest vaccine rates among eligible age groups. The objective of this study was to examine student knowledge and perceptions about HPV vaccine hesitancy in university students and their notions of barriers and facilitators for HPV vaccine uptake. We aimed to identify components for an evidence-based community-oriented educational intervention to increase HPV vaccination uptake. The researchers recorded 10 focus groups featuring students from a Northeastern United States university, aged 18-26, which were analyzed using grounded theory and inductive thematic analysis to identify recurring themes. The participants mentioned many barriers and facilitators for attaining the HPV vaccine, with health literacy being prominent for both. They demonstrated some knowledge of what HPV is and ways to avoid it. They also expressed a desire for further information and felt that the way in which this information is presented to the public is vital for increasing vaccine uptake and designing future interventions. In order to increase HPV vaccination rates in the general population and overcome barriers such as family, religious, and cultural values, it is important to emphasize the link between HPV and cancer and its preventative benefits.

  PublisherDOI

• Unveiling quorum sensing mechanisms: Computational docking and dynamics of bacterial receptors and ligands

  Journal of Molecular Structure · 2024-11-13 · 5 citations

  article1st author
  PublisherDOI

• Mental health services among Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh: perspectives from field service providers

  International Journal of Migration Health and Social Care · 2024-12-13

  article

  Purpose This paper aims to understand the mental health experiences and needs of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh from the perspective of mental health-care providers and hospital administrators. Design/methodology/approach This paper conducted a mixed methods study. Clinical data about refugee mental health care of 722 adult and pediatric patients were analyzed, and four focus groups with mental health providers ( n = 4), primary health-care providers ( n = 5), hospital administrators ( n = 4) and midwives ( n = 5) were held. Findings Clinical data analysis found that patients were diagnosed and treated for a variety of mental illnesses, including depression, anxiety, psychotic and neurological disorders. Misalignment between diagnosis and psychotropic medication prescription partly exists because of the unavailability of medications. Focus group findings indicate a lack of awareness of mental health conditions, and Rohingya visit hospitals for symptomatic physical ailments. Cultural and social factors discourage people from seeking mental health care. Patients are often brought by concerned family members or community health workers. A limited number of mental health-care providers are available to diagnose and treat Rohingya refugees, and follow-up care is often lacking. Research limitations/implications First, this paper only drew data from one field hospital in the camps. Future research should sample practitioners working in other health centers across all camps for a more comprehensive look at the prevalence and variations in mental health issues and mental health services provision. Second, this paper did not interview patients for this study as the study focused on the perspectives of administrators, health-care providers and support staff. Nevertheless, the inclusion of patients would have illuminated perceptions and attitudes and the social, familial and religious dynamics toward identifying mental health problems and seeking mental health services. Therefore, future research should aim to focus on participants’ voices and experiences. Practical implications Clinics across the camps should enhance the screening of refugees for common mental disorders and encourage them to report cases within their families. Further, health-care providers and support staff should explain to refugees the importance of non-pharmacological treatment approaches and that, according to studies, their effectiveness is equal to or sometimes more effective than pharmacological treatment. Social implications To address mental health-related stigma, conducting awareness campaigns in close collaboration with local leaders is critical to improving the level of knowledge among refugees, which could improve mental health-seeking behaviors. Originality/value This paper fulfills an identified gap in the mental health experiences and needs among the Rohingya refugees. The true prevalence of the range of mental health challenges among the Rohingya population is not accurately known; however, its impact is immense. The data indicates that mental health providers in remote regions be provided with training opportunities so they can effectively treat mental health conditions. Additionally, existing underlying root causes should be addressed through inclusive awareness programs in tandem with increasing the number of mental health clinics and providers across the camps and allocating more resources to provide medications for appropriate case treatment.

  PublisherDOI

• Young Adults at the National Epicenter of the COVID-19 Outbreak: Understanding the Impact and Future Challenges of Social Distancing on Mental Health Outcomes

  International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · 2023-12-26 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  OBJECTIVES: To understand the role and future implications of social distancing on mental health and substance use in young adults between the ages of 18 and 35 living in high-disease-prevalent areas of New York. METHODS: Participants completed a self-administered online survey through Qualtrics. RESULTS: 43.9% of the sample met criteria for moderate or severe anxiety, and 53.1% of the sample met criteria for moderate to severe depression. 76.1% of the sample experienced both anxiety and depressive symptoms. Despite this, the rates of lifetime mental health diagnoses, treatment, and access to mental health services were low. Rates of depression and anxiety differed across socio-demographic variables (gender, income, sexuality, education, and insurance status). Experiencing severe symptoms of the COVID-19 virus, poor coping skills, loneliness, increased alcohol use, and sleep disturbances were linked to higher rates of depression, anxiety, or both. CONCLUSION: As the first epicenter of COVID-19 in the United States, New York represents an important location for prevention researchers to learn about how COVID-19 affected a diverse population of young adults. It is essential that researchers and practitioners proactively develop early and appropriate interventions to address the ongoing mental health crisis and also plan for future crises.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• The Effect of Intervention on Cognitive Impairment, Dementia, and Depression among Normal Individuals

  AEA Randomized Controlled Trials · 2023-12-17

  dataset1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• How does social support relate to emotional availability for learning during COVID-19? A multi-group structural equation model of university students from the U.S. and Israel

  Social Psychology of Education · 2023-04-05 · 5 citations

  articleOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• The Effect of Intervention on Cognitive Impairment, Dementia, and Depression among Normal Individuals

  AEA Randomized Controlled Trials · 2023-12-17

  dataset1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Attitude, repurchase intention and brand loyalty toward halal cosmetics

  Journal of Islamic marketing · 2023 · 58 citations

  • Business
  • Advertising
  • Marketing

  Purpose This study aims to investigate consumer brand loyalty toward halal cosmetics using the theory of planned behavior through repurchase intention, which is primarily relying on the consumer’s attitude toward halal cosmetics. Important predictors such as trust on halal cosmetics, quality of halal cosmetics and religious beliefs of millennial Muslim female consumers shape consumer attitude. Design/methodology/approach The present study used the quantitative research design and deductive approach to collect the data from 275 halal cosmetics users in Pakistan by using a judgmental sampling approach. Findings Findings of the study provide useful insights for both theory and practice. The results support product quality, religious belief and trust on halal cosmetics as predictors of consumer’s attitude toward halal cosmetics that further develop consumers’ repurchase intention, which in turn enhances their overall brand loyalty. Besides, the findings also show that consumer repurchase intention has a mediating effect between consumer attitude toward halal cosmetics and consumer brand loyalty. Practical implications The current study helps in advancing practitioners’ understanding of female consumers’ brand loyalty in the halal cosmetics context. This study is considered to be greatly helpful for managers to gain knowledge about how repurchase intention and brand loyalty of millennial Muslim female consumers can be developed in the halal cosmetics segment, especially in the case of Pakistan. Originality/value Brand loyalty has been investigated by previous studies through different predictors and antecedents. This study contributes to the literature of brand loyalty by empirically examining and validating the different antecedents of consumer attitude that are accountable for creating consumer brand loyalty in the domain of halal cosmetics within the Pakistani cultural context. The current study also enhances the previous scholarly understanding on halal cosmetics by investigating the mediating role of consumer repurchase intention of halal cosmetics that further extends the discussion for both theory and practice.

  PublisherDOI

• Self-Reported Depression and Anxiety among Graduate Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Examining Risk and Protective Factors

  Sustainability · 2023 · 16 citations

  1st authorCorresponding
  • Psychology
  • Clinical psychology
  • Psychiatry

  Depression and anxiety among students in higher education are well-established public health concerns with rates that have steadily increased over the past several decades. The global COVID-19 pandemic caused a need for rapid transition on campuses to online learning, a disruption of research, and uncertainty about meeting program requirements and employment. Graduate students often feel overlooked at the best of times and the potential for the pandemic to worsen this perception cannot be understated. This study examined the rates of self-reported depressive and anxiety symptoms among graduate students who were located at the national epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States in the spring of 2020. Demographic characteristics, loneliness, and coping to determine potential risk and protective factors were also examined. A comprehensive online survey was created including the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) 3-Item Loneliness Scale, the Patient Health Questionnaire Depression Scale (PHQ-9), and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7). Descriptive statistics, Pearson’s chi-squared test, Spearman’s correlation, and unadjusted and adjusted multivariable logistic ordinal regression models were used to describe the sample and to assess factors associated with depression and anxiety. 341 surveys were analyzed; respondents had a mean age of 31.88, 68% were female, 63% were White, and 23% identified as lesbian/gay/bisexual. Approximately 89% of students reported moderate-severe depression, and 76% moderate-severe anxiety. Risk factors associated with depression (p < 0.05) were being “sometimes’ lonely”, “often/always lonely”, and time spent searching COVID-19 information. Emotional support, having children, and perceived emotional/mental health were protective against depression (p < 0.05). Risk factors associated with anxiety were “‘often/always lonely”, identifying as lesbian/gay/bisexual, and time searching COVID-19 information. Coping, having children, being born outside of the U.S., and perceived emotional/mental health were protective against anxiety (p < 0.05). Based on study findings, it is recommended that universities include more focused interventions for graduate students in consideration of their unique personal and professional needs. Graduate students are part of the emerging professional workforce and as such employers are also advised to integrate wellness and mental health programs and interventions into their employee assistance programs.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Safwan S. Halabi

  Lurie Children's Hospital

  13 shared

• Omer A. Awan

  University of Maryland, Baltimore

  11 shared

• Faiq Shaikh

  11 shared

• Sohaib A Mohiuddin

  University of Miami

  11 shared

• Rasu B. Shrestha

  Health Innovations (United States)

  11 shared

• Aasim I. Padela

  10 shared

• Anna von Reden

  9 shared

• Christopher Deible

  University of Pittsburgh

  9 shared

Education

• DrPH, Bloomberg School of Public Health

  Johns Hopkins University

  2015

• MPH, Bloomberg School of Public Health

  Johns Hopkins University

  2008

• MSW , School of Social Work

  Virginia Commonwealth University

  2006

• BS (Biobehavioral Health), College of Health and Human Development

  Pennsylvania State University

  2004