Research
My research centers communities in mental health work in two main ways: First, I have tried to describe how social and cultural systems shape mental health risk, promotion, and intervention. Second, I have worked to develop new interventions that support individual mental health by strengthening families, institutions, and communities around the world.
Featured work
Wednesdays at The Center public lecture on the primary findings from my dissertation.
Rasmussen, J. M., Johnson, S. L., Ochieng, Y. A., Jaguga, F., Green, E. P., & Puffer, E. S. (2024). “Congregation leader and member discussions in a church-based family strengthening, mental health promotion and HIV prevention trial: Intervention” Cambridge Prisms: Global Mental Health.
In this paper, I showed how inter-household conversations work as a community-level intervention process that might amplify mental and sexual health information shared during workshops held in Kenyan religious congregations. I discuss how tracking this type of process may be important to understand how interventions might create durable shifts in social context around key health issues like mental health. I also outline future directions for studying congregational settings as unique contexts for mental health and family health intervention, particularly in African countries where these are ubiquitous community institutions.
Coming Soon
Some papers I’m working on now…
Rasmussen, J. M., Johnson, S. L., Ochieng, Y. A., Jaguga, F., Kwobah, E., Green, E. P., & Puffer, E. S. (in preparation). “A scoping review of psychosocial interventions in African religious congregations.”
Rasmussen, J. M., Satinsky, E. N., Perkins, J. M., Comfort, A., Kakuhikire, B., Baguma, C., Ashaba, S., Cooper-Vince, C. E., Bangsberg, D. R., Puffer, E. S., Tsai, A. C. (in preparation). “Social network name generators and question-order effects: A randomized experiment in rural Uganda.”
Chase, R., Green, E., Finnegan, A., Rasmussen, J. M.,Puffer, E. (in preparation). An observational measure of parent-child interactions for global low-resource settings: Development and evaluation in Liberia.
All Publications
Chitneni, P., Musinguzi, N., Baguma, C., Rasmussen, J. M., Satinsky, E. N., Kananura, J., Ayebare, P., Gumisiriza, P., Masette, G., Siedner, M. J., Haberer, J. E., Matthews, L. T., Kakuhikire, B., & Tsai, A. C. (2025). Population prevalence and correlates of syphilis in rural, southwestern Uganda. Open Forum Infectious Diseases, 12(5), ofaf290. https://doi.org/10.1093/ofid/ofaf290
Puffer, E. S., Mansoor, M., Rieder, A. D., Johnson, S. L., Quick, K. N., Rasmussen, J. M., Salgado, G., Boone, W. J., & Proeschold-Bell, R. J. (2025). Embedding positive emotions activities in a family-strengthening intervention to enhance receptivity and engagement. Journal of Prevention and Health Promotion, 6(2), 301–334. https://doi.org/10.1177/26320770241255114
Johnson, S. L., Rasmussen, J. M., Mansoor, M., Ibrahim, H., Rono, W., Goel, P., Vissoci, J. R. N., Von Isenburg, M., & Puffer, E. S. (2024). Correlates of intimate partner violence victimization and perpetration in adolescents and young adults in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 25(2), 1168–1183. https://doi.org/10.1177/15248380231173428
Johnson, S. L., Rieder, A. D., Rasmussen, J. M., Mansoor, M., Quick, K. N., Proeschold-Bell, R. J., Boone, W. J., Puffer, E. S., & Coping Together Team. (2024). A pilot study of the coping together virtual family intervention: Exploring changes in family functioning and individual well-being. Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology, 52(7), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-024-01183-z
Puffer, E. S., Johnson, S. L., Quick, K. N., Rieder, A. D., Mansoor, M., Proeschold-Bell, R. J., Jones, S., Moore-Lawrence, S., Rasmussen, J. D., Cucuzzella, C., Burwell, F., Dowdy, L., Moore, F., Rosales, N., Sanyal, A., Ramachandran, P., Duerr, E., Tice, L., Ayuku, D., & Boone, W. J. (2024). Family strengthening in the context of COVID-19: Adapting a community-based intervention from Kenya to the United States. Prevention Science, 25(2), 267–278. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-022-01418-9
Rasmussen, J. M., Johnson, S. L., Ochieng, Y., Jaguga, F., Green, E., & Puffer, E. (2024). Congregation leader and member discussions in a church-based family strengthening, mental health promotion, and HIV prevention trial: Intervention mechanisms in a randomized trial in rural Kenya. Cambridge Prisms: Global Mental Health, 11, e52. https://doi.org/10.1017/gmh.2024.44
Satinsky, E. N., Kakuhikire, B., Baguma, C., Cooper-Vince, C. E., Rasmussen, J. D., Ashaba, S., Perkins, J. M., Ahereza, P., Ayebare, P., Kim, A. W., Puffer, E. S., & Tsai, A. C. (2024). Caregiver preferences for physically harsh discipline of children in rural Uganda. Journal of Family Violence, 39(5), 861–874. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-023-00536-4
Giusto, A., Vander Missen, M. R., Kosgei, G., Njiriri, F., Puffer, E., Kamaru Kwobah, E., Barasa, J., Turissini, M., Rasmussen, J., Ott, M., Binayo, J., Rono, W., & Jaguga, F. (2023). Peer-delivered problem-solving therapy for adolescent mental health in Kenya: Adaptation for context and training of peer-counselors. Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology, 51(9), 1243–1256. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-023-01075-8
Kim, A. W., Rieder, A. D., Cooper-Vince, C. E., Kakuhikire, B., Baguma, C., Satinsky, E. N., Perkins, J. M., Kiconco, A., Namara, E. B., Rasmussen, J. D., Ashaba, S., Bangsberg, D. R., Tsai, A. C., & Puffer, E. S. (2023). Maternal adverse childhood experiences, child mental health, and the mediating effect of maternal depression: A cross-sectional, population-based study in rural, southwestern Uganda. American Journal of Biological Anthropology, 182(1), 19–31. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.24758
Perkins, J. M., Kakuhikire, B., Baguma, C., Evans, C. Q., Rasmussen, J. D., Satinsky, E. N., Kyokunda, V., Juliet, M., Ninsiima, I., Bangsberg, D. R., & Tsai, A. C. (2023). Cigarette smoking and misperceived norms among adults in rural Uganda: A population-based study. Tobacco Control, 32(5), 652–656. https://doi.org/10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2021-056470
Ashaba, S., Kakuhikire, B., Baguma, C., Satinsky, E. N., Perkins, J. M., Rasmussen, J. D., Cooper-Vince, C. E., Ahereza, P., Gumisiriza, P., Kananura, J., Bangsberg, D. R., & Tsai, A. C. (2022). Adverse childhood experiences, alcohol consumption, and the modifying role of social participation: Population-based study of adults in southwestern Uganda. SSM - Mental Health, 2, 100062. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmmh.2022.100062
Dawson-Squibb, J.-J., Davids, E. L., Chase, R., Puffer, E., Rasmussen, J. D. M., Franz, L., & Vries, P. J. de. (2022). Bringing Parent–Child Interaction Therapy to South Africa: Barriers and facilitators and overall feasibility—first steps to implementation. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(8), 4450. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19084450
Perkins, J. M., Kakuhikire, B., Baguma, C., Meadows, M., Evans, C. Q., Jurinsky, J., Rasmussen, J. D., Satinsky, E. N., Ayebare, P., Kyokunda, V., Juliet, M., Bangsberg, D. R., & Tsai, A. C. (2022). Perceived and misperceived norms about khat and/or cannabis use among adults in southwest Uganda. International Journal of Drug Policy, 101, 103527. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2021.103527
Perkins, J. M., Kakuhikire, B., Baguma, C., Rasmussen, J. D., Satinsky, E. N., Kiconco, A., Kananura, J., Audet, C. M., Siedner, M. J., Haberer, J. E., Bangsberg, D. R., & Tsai, A. C. (2022). Perceptions about local ART adherence norms and personal adherence behavior among adults living with HIV in rural Uganda. AIDS and Behavior, 26(6), 1892–1904. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-021-03540-1
Jurinsky, J., Perkins, J. M., Kakuhikire, B., Nyakato, V. N., Baguma, C., Rasmussen, J. D., Satinsky, E. N., Ahereza, P., Kananura, J., Audet, C. M., Bangsberg, D. R., & Tsai, A. C. (2021). Ease of marital communication and depressive symptom severity among men and women in rural Uganda: Cross-sectional, whole-population study. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-021-02135-4
Kakuhikire, B., Satinsky, E. N., Baguma, C., Rasmussen, J. D., Perkins, J. M., Gumisiriza, P., Juliet, M., Ayebare, P., Mushavi, R. C., Burns, B. F. O., Evans, C. Q., Siedner, M. J., Bangsberg, D. R., & Tsai, A. C. (2021). Correlates of attendance at community engagement meetings held in advance of bio-behavioral research studies: A longitudinal, sociocentric social network study in rural Uganda. PLOS Medicine, 18(7), e1003705. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003705
Perkins, J. M., Kakuhikire, B., Baguma, C., Jurinsky, J., Rasmussen, J. D., Satinsky, E. N., Namara, E., Ahereza, P., Kyokunda, V., Perkins, H. W., Hahn, J. A., Bangsberg, D. R., & Tsai, A. C. (2021). Overestimation of alcohol consumption norms as a driver of alcohol consumption: A whole-population network study of men across eight villages in rural, southwestern Uganda. Addiction (Abingdon, England). https://doi.org/10.1111/add.15615
Satinsky, E. N., Kakuhikire, B., Baguma, C., Rasmussen, J. D., Ashaba, S., Cooper-Vince, C. E., Perkins, J. M., Kiconco, A., Namara, E. B., Bangsberg, D. R., & Tsai, A. C. (2021). Adverse childhood experiences, adult depression, and suicidal ideation in rural Uganda: A cross-sectional, population-based study. PLOS Medicine, 18(5), e1003642. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003642
Smith, M. L., Kakuhikire, B., Baguma, C., Rasmussen, J. D., Bangsberg, D. R., & Tsai, A. C. (2020). Do household asset wealth measurements depend on who is surveyed? Asset reporting concordance within multi-adult households in rural Uganda. Journal of Global Health, 10(1), 010412. https://doi.org/10.7189/jogh.10.010412
Mushavi, R. C., Burns, B. F. O., Kakuhikire, B., Owembabazi, M., Vořechovská, D., McDonough, A. Q., Cooper-Vince, C. E., Baguma, C., Rasmussen, J., Bangsberg, D. R., & Tsai, A. C. (2019). “When you have no water, it means you have no peace”: A mixed-method, whole-population study of water insecurity and depression in rural Uganda. Social Science & Medicine, 112561. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.112561
Rasmussen, J. D., Kakuhikire, B., Baguma, C., Ashaba, S., Cooper-Vince, C. E., Perkins, J. M., Bangsberg, D. R., & Tsai, A. C. (2019). Portrayals of mental illness, treatment, and relapse and their effects on the stigma of mental illness: Population-based, randomized survey experiment in rural Uganda. PLOS Medicine, 16(9), e1002908. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1002908
Smith, M. L., Kakuhikire, B., Baguma, C., Rasmussen, J. D., Perkins, J. M., Cooper-Vince, C., Venkataramani, A. S., Ashaba, S., Bangsberg, D. R., & Tsai, A. C. (2019). Relative wealth, subjective social status, and their associations with depression: Cross-sectional, population-based study in rural Uganda. SSM - Population Health, 8, 100448. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2019.100448