Ishita Kapur is a mixed-methods researcher interested in exploring the impact of social media use on the mental health outcomes of young adults. She is also interested in leveraging the potential of social media platforms to provide nuanced insights about mental health challenges experienced by young adults. Her work includes examining adverse childhood experiences, such as parental abuse and bullying, that lead to trauma during childhood. She is also interested in exploring the utilization of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in social work education and practice. She aims to employ AI techniques such as machine learning to analyze large-scale social media data and offer useful insights into the factors that impede the well-being of marginalized population groups.
Before joining the doctoral program in social work, Kapur gained practical experience in India by conducting research with non-governmental organizations, focusing on the awareness of child protection acts and the impact of parental neglect on the educational development of children living in marginalized communities. In her work as an educator, she is committed to trauma-informed and culturally responsive teaching. Her teaching pedagogy is focused on creating an environment that fosters learning outcomes, where students co-create knowledge, engage in reflective and critical thinking, and can effectively advocate for social justice.
Dissertation
Harnessing Social Media Data for Examination of Young Adults’ Mental Health Issues and Support-Seeking
Research Interests
- Adolescent mental health
- Young adults’ social media use
- Adverse childhood experiences
- Artificial intelligence
Education
- Anticipated spring 2026: PhD, Social Work, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
- Master of Arts in Social Work, Jamia Millia Islamia, India
- Bachelor of Arts (Honors) in Psychology, Delhi University, India
Featured Publications
- Kapur, I., Kennedy, R., & Hickman, C. (2025). Artificial intelligence algorithms, bias, and innovation: Implications for social work. Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work, 22(4), 548–570. https://doi.org/10.1080/26408066.2025.2470903
- Kapur, I., & Murphy, J. (2024). Depression in adolescence: Examining the role of school engagement and parental support. International Journal of School Social Work, 9(2). https://doi.org/10.4148/2161-4148.1123
“The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination”
Albert Einstein