Jing Zhou

My research examines how youth well-being is shaped across different social contexts and conditions of vulnerability. I focus in particular on adolescent and young people’s mental health, social inclusion, and everyday life experiences in contemporary welfare societies, with attention to how individual resources interact with family environments, educational settings, and broader institutional and policy frameworks.

A central feature of my work is the use of diverse empirical contexts to address a shared set of theoretical questions. I have conducted and am currently conducting research on urban youth populations in Shanghai, exploring youth development, social participation, and mental well-being in rapidly changing metropolitan environments. In parallel, I am engaged in research on family resilience among families of children and adolescents with special needs, with a focus on caregiving practices, family resources, and the role of institutional support. Building on these research lines, I am currently developing work on immigrant adolescents, examining social inclusion, psychosocial adjustment, and inequalities in well-being.

Methodologically, my research is grounded in quantitative and mixed-methods approaches. I work extensively with large-scale survey data and apply advanced statistical techniques, including structural equation modeling, latent profile analysis, and multi-group and alignment-based measurement invariance testing. Across my work, I place strong emphasis on rigorous measurement, cross-context comparability, and the translation of empirical findings into insights relevant for both academic research and policy development.

I am currently involved in several nationally and internationally funded research projects. Among these, I serve as principal investigator of a project supported by the Juho Vainio Foundation, which focuses on promoting healthy lifestyles and mental well-being among school-aged populations, with particular attention to digital well-being, physical activity, and sleep. My research is embedded in international research networks and aims to contribute to high-quality scientific publications as well as evidence-informed youth, family, and health policies.