Xinwan Zhang is a rising senior at Barnard College of Columbia University double majoring in Psychology and Sociology. Having observed different mental health scenes across two countries as an international student in the US, she is interested in investigating how culture influences the perception, diagnosis, and treatment of mental disorders and how culturally specific treatment can help bridge mental health and social disparities experienced by marginalized populations.
As a Summer Intern, Xinwan worked with Dr. Geoffrey Reed to contribute to the development of resources for the implementation and global field studies of the Eleventh Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). She helped with reviewing clinician-administered and lay person-administered diagnostic interviews – Structured Clinical Interview for ICD-11 (SCII-11) and Flexible Interview for ICD-11 (FLII-11) – and developing an index of operational criteria used in the SCII-11. She also assisted with preparation for upcoming FLII-11 field testing and case-controlled field studies that evaluate the impact of changes in ICD-11 classification, which entailed reviewing and testing Qualtrics programming. Outside the project, with fellow Interns, she contacted and conducted two informational interviews with scholars supported by the GMHP for the GMHP 10th-year anniversary celebration.
Through this internship, Xinwan developed a deeper understanding and curiosity of the diverse research and career paths in the global mental health field and accumulated valuable work experience in the field. She is deeply grateful for this experience and is excited to apply all the knowledge and skills that she has gained to her future journey in mental health.