About

Ilona S. Yim is a Professor of Psychological Science at the UCI School of Social Ecology. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Trier, Germany. Her research interests focus on biopsychological processes in health and disease, particularly as they relate to human stress. Her work emphasizes stress during pregnancy and its effects on postpartum depression, as well as individual differences in stress reactivity, including hormonal, immune, and genetic factors. Dr. Yim's contributions aim to deepen understanding of how stress impacts health outcomes, especially in the context of pregnancy and postpartum mental health.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Clinical psychology
• Environmental health
• Psychology
• Environmental science
• Developmental psychology
• Biology
• Psychiatry
• Social psychology
• Ecology

Selected publications

• The Five Domains of Mindful Parenting and Parenting Stress in Mothers of Toddlers

  Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research · 2026-01-01

  articleOpen access

  Parenting stress is related to negative health outcomes and may be high during toddlerhood due to unique challenges. Understanding factors associated with lower parenting stress could inform intervention design. Mindful parenting, present-centered nonjudgmental attention to the parent–child context, is one factor that has been associated with lower parenting stress. Knowledge about the unique associations between each mindful parenting domain and parenting stress is limited. This study examined associations between the 5 domains of mindful parenting (Listening With Full Attention, Nonjudgmental Acceptance, Emotional Awareness, Self-Regulation, and Compassion for Self and Child) and parenting stress. Sociodemographic and psychosocial factors were selected as covariates because these have been associated with parenting stress levels in previous research. We hypothesized that all mindful parenting domains would be negatively associated with parenting stress and the association between parenting stress and Nonjudgmental Acceptance would be the strongest, in line with previous research. Mothers of toddlers (N = 182; Mage = 32.33, SD = 5.26) were recruited online and self-reported their mindful parenting and parenting stress levels. Separate multiple regression models indicated that each mindful parenting domain was negatively associated with parenting stress, after adjusting for covariates (range: bs = -6.68 to -9.33; SEs = 1.75 to 1.04; βs = -.27 to -.51; ts[177] = -4.06 to -8.42; ps < .001). When scores for all mindful parenting domains were modeled simultaneously, only Listening With Full Attention and Compassion for Self and Child remained associated with parenting stress, after adjusting for covariates (Listening With Full Attention: b = -6.48, SE = 1.20, β = -.38, t[173] = -5.40, p < .001, 95% CI [-8.85, -4.11]; Compassion for Self and Child: b = -4.84, SE = 1.64, β = -.23, t[173] = -2.94, p = .004, 95% CI [-8.08, -1.59]). The results suggest that active listening and compassion could be investigated as targets of stress management interventions for parents.

  PublisherDOI

• A randomized trial of prenatal cognitive behavioral stress management effects on obstetric health outcomes and infant cortisol levels

  Psychoneuroendocrinology · 2026-02-21

  articleOpen access

  BACKGROUND: Altered cortisol patterns during pregnancy have been linked to heightened risk for obstetric health complications (e.g., low infant birthweight) and dysregulated infant cortisol levels after birth, particularly in chronically stressed, low-income and ethnic minority families. Considering the detrimental effects that dysregulated cortisol may have on maternal and infant health, prenatal interventions aimed at cortisol regulation in at-risk families are needed. In a previous study, we reported that low-income, ethnic minority pregnant women randomized to a prenatal cognitive behavioral stress management (CBSM) intervention showed improved pre- and postnatal stress and salivary cortisol patterns relative to a control group. The current study extends this work by investigating whether families who received this prenatal CBSM intervention, relative to a control group, experienced fewer obstetric health complications and more regulated infant post partum cortisol patterns, and if maternal cortisol patterns and psychosocial factors (stressful life events, resilience) influenced CBSM intervention effects. METHODS: One hundred pregnant women (76 % annual income < $20 K, <17 weeks of gestation) were randomized to an eight-week CBSM group intervention (n = 55) or a control group (n = 45). Salivary cortisol was collected at baseline (1st trimester), after the intervention (3rd trimester), and at three months post partum (mothers and infants). Obstetric health complications were assessed via a medical record review. RESULTS: Prenatal CBSM (compared to the control group) showed fewer obstetric health complications for mothers with elevated prenatal cortisol levels. Further, CBSM (compared to the control group) showed more regulated cortisol patterns (i.e., reducing total cortisol, steeper decline in diurnal cortisol) for infants of mothers who had high cortisol and stress levels, and for infants of African American mothers. CONCLUSIONS: These results lend support to the effectiveness of prenatal CBSM in enhancing the health of low-income, ethnic minority mothers and their infants, and emphasize the need to investigate the prolonged impact of CBSM in community-based settings.

  PublisherDOI

• A mixed-methods study of body esteem, disordered eating behaviors, acculturative stress, and sociocultural correlates among female Chinese international students

  Journal of Eating Disorders · 2026-04-04

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  BACKGROUND: Global migration has heightened the need to understand how cultural transitions influence body image and eating behaviors. In the U.S., Chinese international students represent one of the largest migrant student groups, with women showing particular vulnerability to body image concerns and disordered eating. Yet, the ways in which cultural transition and acculturative stress shape these outcomes remain insufficiently studied. METHODS: This study investigated female Chinese international students using online surveys with free-response questions administered during researcher-supervised video sessions prior to their migration to the U.S. for college (n = 127) and again six months after arrival (n = 113; 89% retention). RESULTS: Across time, participants reported lower body esteem, higher emotional eating, and higher BMI, while perceived sociocultural pressures from different sources and internalization of different body ideals remained stable. Acculturative stress was associated with greater muscular-ideal internalization, lower body esteem, and higher uncontrolled eating at follow-up, even after accounting for pre-migration levels. Qualitative analyses provided additional context, with participants describing shifts toward muscular/fit ideals in the U.S. that shaped body image concerns, dissatisfaction with food environments that fueled eating concerns, and other experiences influencing body image and eating behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: By integrating quantitative and qualitative evidence, this study contributes to the limited research on international migrants and underscores the associations between acculturation experiences, acculturative stress, body image, and eating. Findings highlight food environments and cultural ideals as complex factors within acculturation and tripartite influence models and point to actionable strategies for policies and interventions supporting international students during cultural transition.

  PublisherDOI

• Discrimination and Heart Rate Variability Responses to Stress in a Diverse Sample of Young Adults

  Journal of Psychophysiology · 2025-07-01

  articleOpen access

  Abstract: Discrimination is increasingly understood to be linked with heart rate variability (HRV), an index of cardiovascular and self-regulatory (e.g., emotion regulatory) function. The current study examined how self-reported discrimination might be linked with HRV responses while undergoing a social evaluative speech task in a diverse sample of young adults in the US. Continuous HRV was collected as participants ( N = 158, M age = 20.49, 58% female) completed the social evaluative speech task. Lower self-reported discrimination was linked with a quadratic pattern (i.e., inverted U-shape) of HRV throughout the social evaluative speech task, reflecting an adaptive self-regulatory response. In contrast, higher self-reported discrimination was associated with blunted HRV throughout the social evaluative speech task, suggesting minimal to no self-regulatory action. These data support the notion that higher perceived discrimination might compromise self-regulatory capacity under circumstances unrelated to discrimination, as indicated by a blunted HRV response. Our novel findings contribute to the emerging literature on the key role of the parasympathetic nervous system, indexed by HRV, as a link in the association of higher discrimination with impaired self-regulation and cardiovascular health.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Psychometric properties of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 in male partners

  Minerva Psychiatry · 2025-12-01 · 1 citations

  article

  BACKGROUND: The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) are common tools to measure depressive symptoms. The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the EPDS and PHQ-9 among male partners of pregnant women in Pakistan.METHODS: This longitudinal study included 206 primiparous male partners (mean age=30.4 years) of pregnant women with singleton pregnancies. During an antenatal visit at an outpatient clinic, study participants completed the EPDS and PHQ-9 questionnaires in the first or second trimester of pregnancy. Exploratory factor analysis was completed on data obtained from both tools.RESULTS: A three-factor structure best fit the EPDS (factors: depressive symptoms/suicide [items 7-10], anxiety symptoms [items 3-6], and anhedonia [items 1 and 2]) and a two-factor structure best fit the PHQ-9 (factors: depressive symptoms [items 1, 3, 7, 8, and 9] and somatic symptoms [items 2, 4, 5, and 6]). Reliability for the EPDS overall scale was α=0.80. Items related to depressive symptoms/suicide and anxiety symptoms also yielded acceptable reliability (α=0.78; α=0.72), whereas the reliability of the anhedonia subscale was lower (α=0.57). For the PHQ-9, the reliability of the overall scale (α=0.79) and its subscales depressive symptoms (α=0.79) and somatic symptoms (α=0.68) were acceptable.CONCLUSIONS: These tools are effective scales that can be used with partners in this specific cultural context.

  PublisherDOI

• Distinct maternal DNA methylation associations with gestational age at early and late-mid term pregnancy in a low- and middle-income country: evaluation of biological, genetic, and psychosocial contributors

  BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth · 2025-10-10 · 1 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Mothers undergo physiological and molecular changes over the course of gestation. These modifications "get under the skin" and may be reflected in the maternal epigenome through processes such as DNA methylation. Such an epigenetic mark may offer insights into maternal responses to prenatal influences and biological cues from the developing fetus, thereby functioning as an indirect indicator of the conditions the fetus experiences in utero. We measured whole blood DNA methylation using the MethylationEPIC BeadChip Infinium microarray v1.0 in 22 pregnant women from Pakistan, a low- and middle-income country (LMIC), at two timepoints during their term pregnancies (early: 10-19 weeks and late-mid: 22-29 weeks). We used DNA methylation profiles to predict immune cell proportions and tested differences in these proportions and DNA methylation patterns between the two timepoints. Further, we evaluated DNA methylation associations with gestational age at each timepoint and examined the contribution of genetic, psychosocial, and biological factors. Our analyses documented changes in immune cell proportions and DNA methylation profiles over the course of gestation, albeit in a small percentage of the measured DNA methylome. We also observed timepoint-specific DNA methylation associations with gestational age, predominantly at early pregnancy, with predicted interleukin-6 level and socioeconomic status contributing to a few of these associations. On comparing to three external cohorts from different sociocultural contexts, we also noted these signatures to be unique to LMIC settings. Overall, these changes measured in term pregnancies may be used to assess both fluctuations in pregnancy and birth outcomes, particular in women from LMIC settings.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• A prospective cohort study on changes in psychosocial distress and preterm birth among pregnant Pakistani women

  Journal of Affective Disorders Reports · 2025-08-19

  articleOpen access

  • When examining effects of changes in individual and collective measures on preterm birth examining confounders and effect modifiers in these investigations is imperative. • Social support from the family was a significant effect modifier for change in pregnancy-related anxiety and aggregated psychosocial distress on preterm birth. • Education, the number of previous children and lifetime interpersonal trauma were effect modifiers of the influence of changes in depressive symptoms on preterm birth. • Decrease in overall combined effect of changes in pregnancy-related anxiety, state anxiety, and depressive symptoms reduces the risk of preterm birth, thus protective against preterm birth. • Clinicians should monitor changes in multiple dimensions of mental health over the course of pregnancy. Changes in mental health during pregnancy may better predict preterm birth (PTB) as assessment at one time point are inconsistently associated with this outcome. Our prospective cohort study of 1225 pregnant Pakistani women determined whether (a) changes in psychosocial distress (i.e., pregnancy-related anxiety, state anxiety, depressive symptoms) between 10 to 19 and 22 to 29 weeks’ gestational age influenced the risk of PTB; and (b) social determinants of health and chronic stress influenced this relationship. The individual effect of changes in (a) pregnancy-related anxiety on PTB was significant only among women with low social support from family (OR = 0.85, 95% CI 0.74–0.97, p = 0.017); and (b) depressive symptoms on PTB were significantly modified by education (p = 0.011), number of previous children (p = 0.028) and life-time interpersonal trauma (p = 0.073). The average aggregate change score was associated with PTB among women with low family support (OR = 0.79, 95% CI 0.67–0.93, p = 0.005), after adjusting for confounders. The collective effect, assessed using multiple logistic regression, was not significant. Chronic stress did not alter any findings. An intersectional approach will enable exploration of the disparate burden of psychosocial distress during pregnancy on PTB.

  PublisherDOI

• Strengthening Recruitment and Retention: Mitigation Strategies in Two Longitudinal Studies of Pregnant Women in Pakistan

  Maternal and Child Health Journal · 2024-06-21

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  PURPOSE: Global health researchers have a responsibility to conduct ethical research in a manner that is culturally respectful and safe. The purpose of this work is to describe our experiences with recruitment and retention in Pakistan, a low-middle-income country. DESCRIPTION: We draw on two studies with a combined sample of 2161 low-risk pregnant women who participated in a pilot (n = 300) and a larger (n = 1861) prospective study of psychological distress and preterm birth at one of four centers (Garden, Hyderabad, Kharadar, Karimabad) of the Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. ASSESSMENT: Challenges we encountered include economic hardship and access to healthcare; women's position in the family; safety concerns and time commitment; misconceptions and mistrust in the research process; and concerns related to blood draws. To mitigate these challenges, we developed culturally acceptable study incentives, involved family members in the decision-making process about study participation, partnered with participants' obstetrician-gynecologists, accommodated off site study visits, combined research visits with regular prenatal care visits, and modified research participation related to blood draws for some women. CONCLUSION: Implementation of these mitigation strategies improved recruitment and retention success, and we are confident that the solutions presented will support future scientists in addressing sociocultural challenges while embarking on collaborative research projects in Pakistan and other low-middle-income countries.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Allostatic Load as a Mediator and Perceived Chronic Stress as a Moderator in the Association between Maternal Mental Health and Preterm Birth: A Prospective Cohort Study of Pregnant Women in Pakistan

  Psychopathology · 2024-09-27 · 4 citations

  articleSenior author

  INTRODUCTION: The complex biopsychosocial pathways linking maternal mental health with preterm birth (PTB) are not well understood. This study aimed to explore allostatic load (AL) as a mediator and perceived chronic stress as a moderator in the pathway linking maternal mental health and PTB. METHODS: A cohort study of pregnant women (n = 1,567) recruited at clinic visits within 10-19 weeks of gestation was assessed for maternal mental health (i.e., pregnancy-related anxiety, state anxiety, depressive symptoms) and perceived chronic stress. Blood pressure and levels of cortisol, total cholesterol, C-reactive protein, and glycosylated hemoglobin were used to create a composite measure of AL. RESULTS: AL had the most significant effect on PTB (odds ratio (OR) = 1.84, 95% CI = 1.26-12.67, p = 0.001), while systolic blood pressure emerged as the only significant individual marker using variable selection (OR = 22%, 95% CI = 1.06-1.40, p < 0.001) in multiple logistic regression analysis. A mediation analysis revealed that maternal mental health did not have a significant direct effect on PTB (p = 0.824), but its indirect effect mediated by AL was significant (z = 2.33, p < 0.020). Low and high levels of perceived chronic stress, relative to the mean, moderated this indirect effect (z = 3.66, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: AL has a significant direct influence on PTB and mediates the effect of maternal mental health on PTB; however, the indirect effect of AL is indistinguishable between women with higher or lower levels of perceived chronic stress than normal.

  PublisherDOI

• Bicultural identity integration, depressive symptoms, and emotional eating among Asian and Latino undergraduate students in the U.S

  Eating Behaviors · 2024-12-28 · 2 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  College students increasingly identify as bicultural. Bicultural identity integration (BII), the extent to which an individual can effectively manage their various cultural identities, has been associated with mental health, including depressive symptoms. However, few studies have examined the association between BII and eating behaviors among racial/ethnic minority students, even though these students are at high risk for disordered eating behaviors. The primary goals of the present study were to examine the association between BII and emotional eating, and whether depressive symptoms represent an indirect pathway in the association. Asian and Latino undergraduate college students in the U.S. (N = 497; age range: 18-46 years, M = 20.81) completed online standardized questionnaires assessing demographics, BII, depressive symptoms, and emotional eating. Higher scores on BII harmony, not blendedness, were associated with fewer depressive symptoms (r = - 0.16, p < .001) and less emotional eating (r = - 0.13, p < .001). Moreover, depressive symptoms were the indirect pathway between BII harmony and emotional eating (b = - 0.15, p = .003, 95%CI boot [- 0.25, - 0.05]), but not between BII blendedness and emotional eating (b = - 0.04, p = .42, 95%CI boot [- 0.15, 0.06]). The results can help inform counseling services about the need to address cultural harmony to promote healthy eating behaviors, mental health, and well-being among bicultural undergraduate students.

  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• NIH Grant M01RR000827

  NIH · $28.9M · 2010

• NIH Grant R03MH082270

  NIH · $153k · 2011

Frequent coauthors

• J. Rick Turner

  IQVIA (United States)

  1120 shared

• Yori Gidron

  University of Haifa

  456 shared

• Alan M. Delamater

  316 shared

• Pamela S. King

  Wayne State University

  302 shared

• William Whang

  Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

  302 shared

• James Turner

  University of Birmingham

  240 shared

• David Busse

  Boehringer Ingelheim (Germany)

  169 shared

• Jessica E. Haberer

  Harvard University

  160 shared

Education

• Ph.D.

  University of Trier

Awards & honors

• © 2026 UC Regents