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Research

Our research sits at the intersection of social work practice and technology. Below are our main project themes and the publications from each — including preprints of work currently under review.

Research Themes

Project theme

AI-Simulated Role-Playing in Social Work Training

Chung, G. (2026). Thinking, feeling, and relating with an AI service user: A think-aloud study of social work students in AI-mediated clinical roleplay. EdArXiv. DOI ↗Preprint

Chung, G., Wong, P.-H., Cheung, J. C.-S., Yim, J., Cheng, S., Tay, D., & Zheng, L. (2025). Beyond skill training: Teaching social work “rituals” through large language model (LLM) simulated role-play. SocArXiv. DOI ↗Preprint

Chung, G., Cheng, S., Ong, B., Zheng, L., Soh, D. J. Y., & Ow Yong, F. Z. L. (2025). Role-playing in social work education: A survey of undergraduate students’ experiences and implementation preferences in Singapore. OSF Preprints. DOI ↗Preprint

Chung, G., Ong, B., Ow Yong, F. Z. L., & Cheng, S. (2024). Enhancing role-playing pedagogy in social work education: A scoping review through the lens of deliberate practice. OSF Preprints. DOI ↗Preprint

Project theme

Text-Based Chat Services and Text Engagement Skills

Chung, G. S. K., & Lim, T. M. (2026). What makes text-based online chat work? Communication features of effective chat helpers’ responses to chat users. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 26(3). DOI ↗

Chung, G. S. K. (2026). “Clicking without understanding”: A mixed-methods analysis of user agreements in digital mental health services. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 213, 106384. DOI ↗

Chung, G., Yee, A. Z. H., Thell, N., & Lim, T. M. (2026). Who reciprocates whom? Mutual influence in emoticon use and perceived responsiveness between chat workers and young people seeking help. PsyArXiv. DOI ↗Preprint

Chung, G., Lim, T. M., & Kampman, O. P. (2026). Worker skills associated with outcomes in suicidal-related youth chat sessions. SocArXiv. DOI ↗Preprint

Project theme

Program Evaluation of Social Service Interventions

Koh, L. L. L., Chung, G., Ariffin, A., Cheng, S., & Chia, E. Y. M. (2026). Training community advocates: Evaluating the training of peer supporters in a peer support program among youths with or at risk of non-suicidal self-injury. Social Work in Health Care, 65(6–7), 324–346. Paper ↗ Preprint ↗

Lanier, P., Chung, G., & Rose, R. (2022). A quasi-experimental study of intensive alternative family treatment to prevent entry of youth to psychiatric residential treatment. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 39(3), 303–311. DOI ↗

Rose, R. A., Chung, G., & Lanier, P. J. (2021). Effectiveness of intensive alternative family treatment on reducing re-admissions to psychiatric residential treatment facilities. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 29(2), 113–124. DOI ↗

Lanier, P., Jensen, T., Bryant, K., Chung, G., Rose, R., Smith, Q., & Lackmann, L. (2020). A systematic review of the effectiveness of children’s behavioral health interventions in psychiatric residential treatment facilities. Children and Youth Services Review, 113, 104951. DOI ↗

Lanier, P., Frey, J., Smith, Q., & Chung, G. (2019). A quasi-experimental study of a peer support group to enhance protective factors for fathers of children in Head Start. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 28(6), 1558–1570. DOI ↗