About

Joseph Lee Young is an Instructor A of Medicine in the Department of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He completed his BA in Anthropology at the University of Louisville in 2010, followed by a PhD in Anthropology from the University of Pennsylvania in 2020. He earned his MD from the Perlman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in 2021. His post-graduate training includes Internal Medicine with a Primary Care Track at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania from 2021 to 2024, and Geriatric Medicine at the same institution from 2024 to 2025. He holds board certification in Internal Medicine as of 2024. His research focuses on geriatrics, with involvement in clinical care and research related to aging, memory, sleep disorders, and osteoporosis. His contact information is provided as being located at 3819 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, with the email address yojoseph@pennmedicine.upenn.edu.

Research topics

• Psychiatry
• Medicine
• Medical emergency
• Clinical psychology
• Psychology
• Social psychology
• Pathology
• Family medicine
• Virology
• Developmental psychology
• Internal medicine

Selected publications

• Prevention of Excess Weight Gain Among Adolescent Military‐Dependents at High Risk for Obesity

  Obesity · 2026-03-09

  article

  OBJECTIVE: Given their unique psychosocial milieu, military-dependent youth (children of service members) may be vulnerable to excess weight gain, adverse cardiometabolic health, and binge eating. This study aimed to test the effects of group interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT), relative to a standard-of-care health education (HE) group, on these outcomes in adolescent military-dependents. METHODS: Military-dependent 12 to 17-year-olds with BMI ≥ 85th percentile and elevated anxiety and/or recent loss-of-control-eating participated in a multisite cluster randomized controlled trial comparing 12 weeks of adapted group IPT, targeting psychosocial problems, to a HE group. BMI, cardiometabolic health, and binge eating were assessed at baseline, posttreatment, and 1-year follow-up. BMI and cardiometabolic variables were measured or retrieved from electronic medical records at 2- and 3-year follow-ups. RESULTS: We were not able to recruit a fully powered trial; however, we analyzed data from 153 adolescent military-dependents (43.8% boys) with LOC-eating and/or high anxiety. There were no group differences between IPT and HE on outcomes. Some improvements in BMI indices, glucose regulation, and binge eating (p < 0.001) were observed across both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Group-based interventions may positively impact weight trajectories and cardiometabolic health among adolescent military-dependents. Future studies should elucidate potential moderators and mechanisms of interventions on outcomes in this important population. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT02671292.

  PublisherDOI

• Examining Hope in Adolescents with Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain

  Children · 2026-03-27

  articleOpen access

  Background/Objectives: This cross-sectional study aimed to quantify hope levels in adolescents with chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) and examine patient-reported outcomes associated with hope. Methods: This was an exploratory, cross-sectional, secondary analysis of baseline data from a prospective, single-center longitudinal study of 60 youth presenting for an initial evaluation at a pediatric subspecialty pain clinic. Subjects were English-speaking 12–17-year-olds with a diagnosis of CMP, primarily female and non-Hispanic White, with diffuse pain, median pain duration of 2 years, and moderate to severe physical dysfunction. Subjects completed surveys measuring hope (Children’s Hope Scale [CHS]) and patient-reported mental, physical, and overall health. Associations between hope scores (total and each subscale) and patient-reported outcomes were evaluated using Spearman rank correlations. Results: The median CHS score was 20.0 (IQR: 16.5–25.0), indicating slight hope. Patient hope was negatively correlated with depression (r = −0.61), anxiety (r = −0.49), psychological distress (r = −0.52), functional disability (r = −0.43), and pain interference (r = −0.37), but not pain intensity. Adolescents’ hope was positively correlated with resilience (r = 0.74) and overall health (r = 0.55; all p &lt; 0.01). Conclusions: Hope is correlated with various patient-reported health measures in youth with CMP. Although causal inferences are not possible due to the cross-sectional nature of this study, the results suggest that hope may be an important coping mechanism in pediatric chronic pain. Future efforts to incorporate existing resilience coaching programs into usual care may improve hope and health-related quality of life in youth with CMP.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• The design of a scalable intervention for adolescents with internalizing problems

  SSM - Mental Health · 2026-04-02

  articleOpen access

  EMPOWER is a program aimed at building the capacity of frontline workers to deliver brief, evidence-based psychosocial interventions for mental health conditions. We describe the design of such an intervention for adolescents with internalizing problems, a leading cause of morbidity for this age group in the United States. The intervention design was founded on the findings of a meta-analysis by Fitzpatrick et al. (2023) of 263 randomized controlled trials of youth psychotherapies, which identified five empirically supported principles of change (EPSCs) underlying the most effective interventions for internalizing and externalizing mental health problems. This study gathered additional qualitative insights to inform the selection of the best-fit EPSC(s) and intervention delivery model by consulting an expert advisory group and conducting focus group discussions with the intended provider population. Two ESPCs— Feeling Calm and Solving Problems —emerged as the most scalable and feasible for delivery by frontline workers. A two-level progressive stepped-care protocol was chosen to accommodate diverse settings and the unique needs of each adolescent. The protocol starts with a universal first-meeting intervention that explores the adolescent’s problems and teaches a brief calming technique to those in distress. For adolescents requiring further support, this is followed by one to two additional meetings focused on learning a condensed procedure for Problem Solving. A three-course, competency-based digital training program was created for scalable dissemination of this intervention to frontline workers in adolescent-focused roles. This study illustrates the value of triangulating multiple forms of evidence (i.e., research, experts, and providers) to design an intervention protocol and training program that align with best practices in clinical and implementation science. Further research piloting the program will evaluate its acceptability and feasibility and provide implementation insights to support its scalability in real-world settings, with the aim of increasing adolescents’ access to effective mental health care.

  PublisherDOI

• Longer-Term Outcomes of Telehealth-Delivered Adolescent Depression Prevention: Findings from a School-Based Randomized Controlled Trial

  Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology · 2026-02-13

  articleSenior author

  OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine longer-term outcomes of a school-based randomized controlled trial comparing a telehealth-delivered adolescent depression prevention program, Interpersonal Psychotherapy-Adolescent Skills Training (IPT-AST), to services as usual (SAU) across 17 public schools. METHOD: = .70; 65% female; 21% Black; 13% Hispanic/Latinx) with elevated depression screening scores completed surveys through 15-month follow-up (approximately 1-year post-intervention). Adolescents completed a diagnostic interview to measure depression diagnoses at baseline and 15-month follow-up. Depression symptoms and diagnoses were primary outcomes and anxiety symptoms were secondary. RESULTS: Hierarchical linear modeling results indicated that adolescents in both IPT-AST and SAU demonstrated similar decreases in depression and anxiety symptoms during the follow-up and total study periods, supporting hypotheses regarding the follow-up period but not the total study. Baseline depression diagnostic status moderated intervention effects on anxiety symptoms such that, among adolescents without a depression diagnosis at baseline, those in IPT-AST showed greater reductions in anxiety symptoms than those in SAU. Exploratory analyses indicated SAU adolescents were more likely to endorse elevated depression symptoms (i.e. above a clinical cutoff) compared to IPT-AST adolescents. The hypothesis regarding depression diagnoses was partially supported; although diagnosis rates and timing to episode onset did not differ between IPT-AST and SAU, exploratory restricted mean survival time analyses demonstrated that adolescents in IPT-AST gained approximately one month free of diagnosis compared to those in SAU. CONCLUSION: Findings highlight the importance of school-based depression prevention programming for reducing longer-term risk.

  PublisherDOI

• Testing a Hierarchical Structural Model of Youth Psychopathology Symptoms Over Time and Across Informants, Gender, and Pubertal Status

  Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry · 2026-02-01

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Resilience Coaching for Adolescent Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: Protocol for a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of Promoting Resilience in Stress Management (PRISM)

  JMIR Research Protocols · 2025-07-22

  articleOpen access

  BACKGROUND: Levels of self-perceived psychological resilience are low to moderate among youth with chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP). Furthermore, resilience has been associated with symptom severity in CMP. Resilience coaching programs may therefore be of benefit in the nonpharmacologic management of adolescent CMP and may serve as an adjunctive way to access mental health services in an approachable and affordable way. OBJECTIVE: The main goal of the study is to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of the resilience coaching program called Promoting Resilience in Stress Management (PRISM) and to obtain the data needed to plan a larger trial. METHODS: The Resilience Coaching for Adolescents with Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain pilot study is an investigator initiated, 2-arm, randomized controlled trial (RCT) of PRISM in the interdisciplinary management of CMP among adolescents. The study will compare usual care versus PRISM+usual care among adolescents newly diagnosed with CMP in the outpatient setting. One caregiver per patient will also be enrolled. The control group will receive usual care with no specific intervention. The treatment arm will receive PRISM, which is a remotely delivered, 1-on-1resilience coaching program, consisting of 4 required skill-based sessions and an optional final session. Sessions will be delivered every 1-2 weeks, lasting about 3 months in total. The primary outcome is the Functional Disability Inventory (FDI) score at 3 months postrandomization. The secondary objectives are to evaluate potential patient- and caregiver-level moderators of PRISM and identify facilitators of and barriers to engagement in PRISM. The estimated sample size is 65 patient-caregiver dyads per group, for a total of 130 dyads. RESULTS: The trial is currently open. Initial Institutional Review Board approval was obtained on April 4, 2023, and protocol version 4 was amended on January 14, 2025. Recruitment began on May 8, 2023, and recruitment is anticipated to be completed on August 1, 2025. CONCLUSIONS: Resilience coaching has demonstrated excellent feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy in teenagers with chronic illness; however, evidence to support its use in adolescent CMP is lacking. Resilience coaching has the potential to improve patient outcomes in this population. This pilot RCT will demonstrate acceptability, feasibility, and preliminary efficacy and reveal critical barriers to and facilitators of engagement. This will inform a larger multisite trial to evaluate the definitive efficacy of the intervention. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05834725; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05834725. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/73385.

  PublisherDOI

• Trends in Adolescent Depression and Suicide Risk Screening and Symptom Monitoring in a Large Primary Care Network

  Academic Pediatrics · 2025-12-20

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  OBJECTIVE: To examine long-term trends in adolescent depression and suicide risk screening and interim symptom monitoring in pediatric primary care (PC) following implementation of universal screening at well-visits. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study examined electronic health record (EHR) data from 406,192 well-visits of 12 to 17-year-old pediatric patients from 2018 to 2024 in a large PC network in the United States. Screening was conducted using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9: Modified for Teens (PHQ-9-M). We evaluated trends over time in well-visit screening compliance, depression and suicide risk rates, and rates and timing of interim symptom monitoring between well-visits. RESULTS: [1] = 240.74, P<.001) and days from index well-visit to interim screen decreased by greater than 50%. CONCLUSIONS: In the years following implementation of universal depression and suicide risk screening in a large PC network, screening compliance increased significantly. However, low rates of interim symptom monitoring for patients screening positive indicate a gap in secondary prevention. Improving risk-based follow-up procedures, including interim screening, in PC represents a critical next step to enhance the preventive potential of universal screening.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Intention, Self-Efficacy, and Interpersonal Reactivity on Partner Notification for Philadelphia-Area Adolescents With Sexually Transmitted Infections

  Journal of Adolescent Health · 2025-02-07

  articleOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Predicting Adolescent Depression and Suicide Risk Based on Preadolescent Behavioral Health Screening in Primary Care

  Academic Pediatrics · 2025-04-15

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  OBJECTIVE: To examine the degree to which a broadband behavioral health screener administered in preadolescence in primary care (PC) could serve as an early risk indicator for depression and suicide risk in adolescence. METHODS: Participants included 9329 patients who attended well visits at 9 and 12 years old in a large pediatric PC network. The sample was 49% female, 64% White, 18% Black, 4% Asian, 14% other races, and 6% Hispanic/Latinx. Caregivers completed the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC-17) about their child at age 9; youth completed the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 Modified for Teens (PHQ-9-M) at age 12. RESULTS: After adjusting for demographic covariates, patients scoring above the risk cutoffs on the PSC-17 total scale and subscales (internalizing, externalizing, and attention) at age 9 had significantly greater odds of elevated depression and/or suicide risk on the PHQ-9-M at age 12 (odds ratios: 2.41-4.23, P < .001). Approximately one third of patients with depression (sensitivity: 37.1%) or suicide (sensitivity: 33.3%) risk at age 12 were identified as at risk on the PSC-17 at age 9. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that the PSC-17, a well-researched screener widely used in pediatrics, has moderate predictive value with respect to depression and suicide risk during adolescence. More research is needed on the feasibility and potential benefits of broadband behavioral health screening in preadolescence to promote early identification and prevention efforts.

  PublisherDOI

• Developmental changes in youth affect: A within-person approach.

  Emotion · 2025-10-06

  articleOpen access

  ² were identified across development. In contrast, nonlinear shifts were found for the number of negative edges between affective dimensions and mean absolute error and possible shifts in dimensionality. Results suggest that global network metrics support decreases in emotional complexity from childhood through adolescence, though other indices suggest distinct patterns of change. Implications for research and study limitations are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• NIH Grant R01MH087481

  NIH · $2.8M · 2017

• 1/2 Bending Adolescent Depression Trajectories Through Personalized Prevention

  NIH · $3.6M · 2007–2020

• NIH Grant K23MH071320

  NIH · $874k · 2010

Frequent coauthors

• Benjamin L. Hankin

  University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

  85 shared

• Laura Mufson

  75 shared

• Molly Davis

  48 shared

• Marian Tanofsky‐Kraff

  National Institutes of Health

  41 shared

• Jason D. Jones

  Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

  41 shared

• Lauren B. Shomaker

  Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

  32 shared

• Robert Gallop

  31 shared

• Jack A. Yanovski

  National Institutes of Health

  27 shared