Lydia W. Li

Associate Professor of Social Work

Lydia W. Li

Degrees

  • Honorary Diploma, Social Work, 1984, Hong Kong Baptist College, China;
  • MSW, Social Work, 1989, University of Hong Kong, China;
  • PhD, Social Welfare, 2000, University of Wisconsin, Madison

BioSketch

Associate Professor Lydia Li's research focuses on issues related to elder care. Her work falls into three areas: (1) the stress and adaptation process of family caregivers; (2) the dynamics of physical disability, psychological distress, and formal and informal care of frail elders living in the community; and (3) the well-being of older adults in contemporary China. In 2002 Professor Li was named Hartford Geriatric Social Work Scholar. She has been a faculty associate of the NIMH Center for Research on Poverty, Risk, and Mental Health at U-M. She serves on several committees of the Gerontological Society of America. She also serves as an external examiner of the gerontology program at the Hong Kong University School of Professional and Continuing Education. Professor Li teaches courses on adulthood and aging and research methods.


Personal Information
Email lydiali@umich.edu
Mailbox  52
INDI  245
 Location
Room: 3839 SSWB
Phone: (734) 936-4850
Fax: (734) 763-3372
 University of Michigan
School of Social Work
1080 S. University
Ann Arbor, MI 48109

Selected Publications

Ingersoll-Dayton, B., Dunkle, R. E., Chadiha, L. A., Lawrence-Jacobson, A., Li, L., Weir, E., et al. (in press). Intergenerational ambivalence: Aging mothers whose adult daughters are mentally ill. Families in Society.
Li, L., & Sui, Y. (in press). Family: Roles of the elderly. In Encyclopedia of modern China. Gale.
Li, L. W., & Conwell, Y. (2009). Effects of changes in depressive symptoms and cognitive functioning on physical disability in home care elderly. Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences, 64A(2), 230-236.
Li, L. W., Zhang, J., & Liang, J. (2009). Health among the oldest-old in China: Which living arrangements make a difference? Social Science & Medicine, 69(2), 220-227.
Li, L. W., & Conwell, Y. (2007). Mental health status of home care elders in Michigan. The Gerontologist, 47(4), 528-534.
Li, L. W., & Liang, J. (2007). Social exchanges and subjective well-being among older Chinese: Does age make a difference? Psychology and Aging, 22(2), 386-391.
Li, L. W. & Rafferty, J. (2006). Policies affecting families of older adults with care needs. In B. Berkman (Ed.), Handbook of social work in health and aging (pp. 915-922). Oxford University Press.
Li, L. W., & Seltzer, M. M. (2005). Relationship quality with parent, daughter role salience, and self-esteem of daughter caregivers. Marriage and Family Review,
37(1/2), 63-82.
Li, L. W. (2005). Trajectories of ADL disability among community-dwelling frail older persons. Research on Aging, 27(1), 56-79.
Li, L. W., Liang, J., Toler, A., & Gu, S. (2005). Widowhood and depressive symptoms among older Chinese: Do gender and sources of support make a difference? Social Science and Medicine, 60(3), 637-647.
Li, L. W., & Fries, B. (2005). Elder disability as an explanation for racial differences in informal home care. Gerontologist, 45(2), 206-215.
Li, L. W. (2005). Predictors of ADL disability trajectories among low-income frail elders in the community. Research on Aging, 27(6), 615-642.
Li, L. W. (2005). Longitudinal changes in the amount of informal care among publicly paid home care recipients. Gerontologist, 45(4), 465-473.
Li, L. W. (2005). From caregiving to bereavement: Trajectories of depressive symptoms among wife and daughter caregivers. Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 60(4), 190-198.