Associate Professor of Psychology
Psychology and Neuroscience Department
Education
Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and Women’s Studies with a minor in Gerontology
Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Women’s Studies
Rutgers University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ
About
I am interested on examining ways to improve the access and quality of mental health care in underserved communities, in United States and internationally. Despite a high burden of mental health problems, disparate access to mental health access is well documented among minority groups in the United States. My past projects examined ways to expand the reach of evidence-based practices to low-income, minority elder and caregivers of people with dementia. My current projects are in Nepal, where I work with local partners to develop and test mental health interventions that if found effective, can be incorporated into existing systems of care for long-term sustainability and expansion of mental health care.
Publications
Shrestha, M., Heylen, E., Sigdel, K., Dhimal, M., Pant, P., Nepal, P., Jha, R.K., Rimal, R., Khatri, R., Joshi, S., Sharma, S., Shrestha, S., Poudel, S., Mainali, S., Sapkota, S., Acharya, B. (2026). A randomized controlled trial of a multi-component family intervention to lower depression and address intimate partner violence (MILAP) among young married women in Nepal: a study protocol. BMC Trials, doi:10.1186/s13063-026-09507-8.
Sigdel, K., Nepal, J., Shrestha, A., Rai, B., Yogi, B., Schillinger, D., Sharma, D., Prajapati, D., Heylen, E., Niraula, H.K., Shrestha, J., Dhimal, M., Sah, N.K., Baral, P.P., Limbu, P., Nepal, P., Paudel, P., Nepali, S., Poudel, S., Joshi, S., Tiwari, S., Shrestha, S., Sapkora, S. & Acharya, B. (2026). A type II hybrid implementation-effectiveness study of the BECOME intervention: integrating Behavioral Community-Based Approaches for Mental Health and Non-Communicable Diseases delivered by community health workers: study protocol for a stepped wedge cluster randomized controlled trial. BMC Trials, 27(1):142. doi:10.1186/s13063-026-09457-1.
Khatri, R., Rimal, P., Ekstrand, M.L., Sapkota, S., Sigdel, K., Sharma, D., Shrestha, J., Shrestha, S. & Acharya, B. (2024). Community health workers’ barriers and facilitators to use a novel mHealth tool for motivational interviewing to improve adherence to care among youth living with HIV in rural Nepal. PLOS Global Public Health. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0002911
Acharya, B., Sigdel, K., Khatri, R., Rimal, P., Shrestha, S., Sharma, D., Shrestha, J. & Sapkota, S. (2024). Improving the quality of global mental health services with digital tools: Best practices and lessons learned from Rural Nepal. Journal of Technology in Behavioral Science, 9, 522 -525. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41347-024-00389-8
!Essa, S., Kaplan, J., Huang, S., Lazarescou, N., Banu, S., Du, Y. B., & Shrestha, S (2023). “A successful partnership”: Pre-migration advantages and post-migration importance of community in refugee resettlement. Journal. Of International Migration and Integration. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12134-023-01086-w
!Kaplan, J., Lazarescou, N., Huang, S., Ali, S., Bau, S., Du, B. & Shrestha, S. (2021) Overview of challenges faced by refugees following resettlement in Houston, Texas: A qualitative study at five refugee resettlement agencies. International Journal of Migration, Health and Social Care, 18 (1). 1 – 12. doi: 10.1108/lJMHSC-01-2021-0009
Sibley, A. A., Shrestha, S., Lipovac-Dew, M. & Kunik, M. E. (2021). Addressing depression with/without coexisting anxiety in community-dwelling persons with dementia. American Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias. doi: 10.1177/1533317521990267
Rimal, P., Khadka, S., Bogati, B., Chaudhury, J., Rawat, L. K., Bhat, K. C., Manandhar, P., Citrin, D., Maru, D., Ekstrand, M., Sawar, S., B., Aryal, A. Bohrt, B., Shrestha, S. & Acharya, B. (2021). Adapting Motivational Interviewing, individual-focused intervention, in a cross-cultural, cross-linguistic setting, in rural Nepal. BMC Psychology, 9 (52), https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-021-00557-y
Shrestha, S., Richey, S., Lipovas-Dew, M., Kunik, M.E., Stanley, M.A. & Amspoker, A. B., (2020). An Examination of Positive and Negative Dementia Caregiving Experiences. Clinical Gerontologist. 45(5), 1263-1272. https://doi.org/10.1080/07317115.2020.1868033
(!indicates senior authorship)
Teaching Interests
Aging and Mental Health, Abnormal Psychology, Global/Multicultural Psychology, Qualitative Methods, and Psychology of Women and Gender
Student Projects
Current Projects involving students:
Review of global partnership in mental health research
Systematic review of facilitators and barriers of sexual health care among women with physical disability
Research Interests
Aging and mental health, mental health in diverse contexts, utilization of mental health services in underserved communities, discourse on diversity using a feminist framework
Department(s)
Program(s)
Office
Diana Davis Spencer Discovery Center 3310
Hours
Please email me to make an appointment.