Leading the way in health care innovation

A major obstacle stands in the way of Yu-Ping Chang’s plan to integrate an on-site behavioral health provider in primary care settings: the stigma surrounding mental health conditions and treatment.

Changing the way traditional primary care approaches mental health so that patients can receive whole-person care ─ including mental health ─ in one place is difficult because of this stigma, says Chang, associate dean for research and scholarship in the School of Nursing. Too many providers are unwilling to take this step to improve the way patients with mental health conditions receive care, she says.

“It is so important to do everything we can to overcome the stigma associated with mental health treatment,” she says. “We can begin to reduce stigma by raising awareness and making sure people are educated more, but more importantly through the promotion of best practices, such as integrating behavioral health care into the primary care site.”

Chang not only guides the School of Nursing’s research enterprise, but is regarded as one of the country’s leading researchers on issues of mental health, dementia and addiction in older adults. She recently was featured in The Buffalo News as one of Western New York’s cutting-edge medical researchers. Her recent research includes investigating possible connections between college education levels and opioid misuse, and examining depression, fatigue and other health issues faced by caregivers of patients with dementia. Her work focuses specifically on geropsychiatric nursing, which merges Chang’s two fields of expertise: geriatrics and psychiatrics.

“She is a star in the School of Nursing as a researcher, an educator and a mentor,” says Marsha Lewis, professor and dean of the School of Nursing. “We are incredibly fortunate to have Dr. Chang as a treasured member of the faculty.”

Chang’s upbringing in Taiwan kindled her interest in care for the elderly. The cultural expectation in her hometown was that young people should look after their parents as they enter old age. And in terms of psychology topics, she was most interested in studying dementia.  

“In Taiwan as a young student in elementary school, I was always chosen as the class representative because I was the tallest girl in my class,” Chang says, chuckling. “I think that’s what made me feel so protective of my classmates and is reflective of my desire to go into the nursing and caretaking field. I always wanted to be as proactive as I was for my classmates.”

Before arriving in the U.S. to complete her PhD, Chang was educated as a psychiatric nurse. She wanted to continue her research and work in the field of substance abuse across the lifespan.

Chang recalls her time working as a nurse in an acute psychiatric facility, one of two nurses for 40 patients. There, she was able to witness patients with different illnesses and treat some who had been misdiagnosed.

“I worked the night shift and was in charge of monitoring the patients along with another nurse seated in a separate area from the patients,” she says. “I was able to see a spectrum of cases. One night, one of our patients became increasingly agitated and difficult to control. He tried to climb through our window and threw a chair in order to break the glass and get in.

“My lesson was learned: Never underestimate a patient’s conditions and what they are going through.”

After working as a psychiatric nurse for five years, she discovered her passion for improving behavioral health care in the community setting.

“Behavioral health encompasses behavioral factors in chronic illness care, care of physical symptoms associated with stress rather than diseases, and health behaviors, as well as mental health and substance abuse conditions and diagnoses,” says Chang. “It is the scientific study of the emotions, behaviors and biology relating to a person’s mental well-being, their ability to function in everyday life and their concept of self.”

After coming to the United States for her doctoral studies, Chang received extensive clinical and research training in gerontology, the study of the social, cultural, psychological, cognitive and biological aspects of aging. She focused her research in the area of patients with dementia and their family caregivers.

In 2008, she joined the UB nursing faculty as an assistant research professor, and was promoted to associate professor with tenure in 2014. Now, in addition to serving as the School of Nursing’s associate dean for research and scholarship, she is co-director of the university’s Center for Successful Aging.

“Currently, I am conducting research in a broad range of topics that I hope are helping to address some of the most critical health issues facing us today, such as addictions; mental health, with a special emphasis on the older adult population and integrated behavioral health and primary care in underserved populations; and care for people with dementia and family caregivers from home to institutional care,” Chang says.

“These are all important issues, and I hope that the work I am doing is helping to improve treatment options and outcomes for both patients and the family members.”

Chang is dedicated to advancing the health and wellness of individuals and of local, national and global communities. Through her research, she strives to improve treatment and outcomes for patients and their caregivers.

“I have many local partners from rural and underserved communities that I am working with,” she says. “I have also established collaborations with researchers across the globe related to substance abuse and mental health issues.

“In my role as the associate dean for research and scholarship at the School of Nursing, I also mentor many faculty members and students across programs. I know firsthand that we are developing nurse leaders that will improve health and wellness for all.”