Letter from the Editors

Welcome to the 2022-2023 issue of New York University’s Applied Psychology Online Publication of Undergraduate Studies (OPUS)! First established in 2009, OPUS provides Applied Psychology undergraduate students with a forum to share their independent work. This publication is entirely written, edited, and designed by undergraduates, and is one of the only undergraduate psychology journals in the United States.

This issue examines a range of psychological phenomena and social issues, and is divided into three parts. The first section - Human Development and Well-Being - begins with Yuyi Lin’s interview with community psychologist Dr. Hirokazu Yoshikawa, whose work focuses on the influence of early education on children’s development. Next, SoYoung Park, Suebin Lee, and Olive Zhou investigate how improvisational music therapists foster music engagement for young children displaying autistic symptoms. Finally, Jenny Yu’s literature review introduces the benefits of mindfulness-based meditation for college students.

The following section - Trauma and Recovery - features Adam Goldstein’s interview with Dr. Anthony Mancini, a clinical psychologist whose interests lie in the adaptive functions of psychological distress and how trauma and acute stress can foster social interaction. Then, Haruka Hokaze’s literature review specifically analyzes how social support can mitigate the PTSD symptoms of Japanese earthquake survivors.

The last section - LGBTQ+ Mental Health - is comprised of Lee Hatcher’s literature review exploring how gender affirmation can improve transgender youths’ depressive symptoms, and Gianna Boccieri’s study, which examines the relation between mental health stigma and the well-being and help-seeking behaviors of LGBTQ+ college students.

Thank you so much to our talented writers for their scholarly contributions, persistence, and commitment. We would also like to thank the Layout & Design Coordinators, Rebecca Wu and Shirley Cajamarca, for their hard work and enthusiasm in the creation of this issue. We are also incredibly grateful to our OPUS advisor, Bethanie Railling, for her brilliant advice and refreshing candor. Lastly, we would like to thank the Co-Directors of Undergraduate Studies in Applied Psychology, Dr. Adina Schick and Dr. Linnie Green, for their continuous support and encouragement. In particular, this issue would not have been possible without our faculty mentor Dr. Schick’s unrelenting patience, sharp wit, and dedicated guidance.

We hope the current issue can bring you new perspectives on many important topics in psychology today.

Best,

OPUS Editors