By Demetrius Dillard, Northend Agent’s
Just as the atrocities of war, natural disasters and other catastrophes can significantly affect one’s mental health, the impacts of racial trauma and racially motivated events can be just as detrimental to the psyche of Black people.
Of the many mental health conditions, PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder, is among the worst.
The Mayo Clinic defines PTSD as “a mental health condition that’s caused by an extremely stressful or terrifying event — either being part of it or witnessing it.”
Experts say symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares, severe anxiety and uncontrollable thoughts about a traumatic event. These factors could vary over time and vary from person to person, Mayo experts pointed out.
Prominent medical researchers have conducted studies on the tremendous role that racial and ethnic discrimination has on minorities. One of the most notable outcomes are PTSD, according to a study published by the National Institutes of Health.
NIH’s “Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in African American and Latino Adults: Clinical Course and the Role of Racial and Ethnic Discrimination” outlines the racial disparities associated with PTSD with regard to how Black American and Latino adults develop the disorder compared to their White counterparts.
Sociocultural factors and racial stressors may contribute higher prevalence in PTSD among minorities, NIH researchers highlighted.
“Research has suggested that African American and Latino adults may develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at higher rates than White adults, and that the clinical course of PTSD in these minority groups is poor,” the scientific research article says.
Using a “longitudinal clinical sample of 139 Latino and 152 African American adults with anxiety disorders,” the NIH article discusses the important role that ethnic racial discrimination plays in the development of the mental illness while demonstrating the “chronic course of PTSD” in Black American and Latino adults.
More specifically, Black Americans suffer from the condition worse than all other demographics.
“In one study exploring perceived discrimination and PTSD symptoms in racial and ethnic minority groups, African Americans reported higher rates of perceived discrimination than Asians and Hispanics, and among those who reported perceived racism, were more likely to endorse lifetime PTSD than Asian Americans,” the NIH article asserts.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ National Center for PTSD delves specifically into the phenomenon of racial trauma, and how those experiences can lead to chronic forms of PTSD.
The VA defines racial trauma as “emotional impact of stress related to racism, racial discrimination, and race-related stressors, such as being affected by stereotypes, hurtful comments, or barriers to advancement.”
While racial trauma can refer to an isolated, specific incident of racial discrimination, it can also refer to ongoing harmful emotional impact of racial discrimination that accumulates over time, VA officials said.
“People can experience racial trauma from something that happens directly to them or from seeing others mistreated because of their race. Coverage of events caused by racial discrimination in the media can also be upsetting, and repeated viewing or frequent media accounts can amplify those feelings,” the agency said in a report.
“Racial trauma can lead to an increased risk of physical and mental health problems. Emotional difficulties, such as stress, anxiety, depression or PTSD, can impact daily functioning in school, work or at home. Relationships with others may also be affected; people may worry that others dismiss their concerns about racial trauma. It is normal and understandable to be negatively affected by racial trauma.”
Dr. Joy DeGruy’s “Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome: America’s Legacy of Enduring Injury and Healing” (revised 2017) emerged to be a popular read among academic circles.
Though it’s an explanatory theory, DeGruy underlined that Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome is a condition that has yielded lasting effects in the Black community. PTSS, not to be confused with PTSD, explores multigenerational trauma.
“What I did is I looked at the African American experience starting with slavery as a real clear, long, enduring trauma,” DeGruy said, also highlighting .
“I started to see that there were clear connections between that survival behavior and contemporary living in the African American experience. I started to see common behaviors that I took for granted as cultural.”
The VA also provides advice for coping with PTSD, listing actionable steps that can be implemented to reduce stress and anxiety while embarking on a path of recovery and fulfillment:
Empowerment strategies, ranging from self-care to speaking about important issues, can improve emotional health.
Values-based goal setting involves identifying specific goals consistent with personal values (family, community, religion, self-improvement, etc.) is another method PTSD victims can use to take back control of their lives.
Self-care and lifestyle changes could be taking walks, listening to music or relaxation techniques that could be therapeutic, ultimately reducing stress.
Taking charge of emotions, including relaxation and mindfulness strategies, can be helpful for the body and mind.
Social support is crucial. Expression to supportive individuals, joining support groups, etc.
Media balance should be applied to reduce the negativity, pessimism and discouragement that comes along with being consumed in the media cycle for too long. The VA recommends limiting exposure to “doom scrolling” or focusing on negative and discouraging media content.
