The negative impact and consequences that systemic racism wields on the human condition can be seen in obvious ways. One only has to look around them and see the gross disparities when it comes to educational achievement, employment, quality of housing, and other living conditions among white Americans and other minorities, especially blacks.
What is often less obvious are the other insidious and often unspoken acute and chronic health consequences that systemic racism breeds among racial minorities and ethnicities.
Inarguably, one’s health is the greatest asset he or she can possess. How many countless times have you witnessed or heard those with wealth or position lamenting that they would willingly trade it all to regain good health.
So how tragic it is that aside from the socio-economic, educational, and other environmental tolls racism takes on its victim, a recent study is confirming that racism is claiming, perhaps, the greatest toll of all on its victims — their mental and physical well-bring. Especially, its black victims.
The study results, released last Friday, and published in the online Journal of Psychology Counseling, found that experiencing racism has similar negative effects on mental health of black adults in the United States — and in many instances subsequent physical health conditions — as with some major trauma. The study analyzed the findings of 66 previous studies that looked at more than 18,000 black adults, which showed common conditions that occur as a result of experiencing racism and trauma. Those conditions include psychological distress that is expressed as physical pain, depression, and higher rates of hypertension, which leads to strokes, heart disease, diabetes and other concomitant illnesses.
The study goes on to suggest that the link between mental health and racism does not only contribute to the physical health disparities between blacks and whites, but also other Americans of different races and ethnicities.
The study concludes that it is critical that mental health providers must include as a part of their therapeutic routine and treatment an assessment of their black patients' experiences with racism.
The scourge of racism can be compared to cancer with its negative and potentially deadly affect on those who are subjected to it repeatedly, at a sustained level or as a way of life.
If it were not enough for us as a society to work toward eradicating racism because of its obvious negative effects when it comes to education, employment, housing, etc., now that it has been confirmed that it erodes mental and physical health as well, how much more are we willing to pay to allow it to continue?
What will it take to show that racism is one of the greatest threats to health and the well-being of contemporary society?
Improving understanding across race, ethnicities, and race relation should be high on our national agenda.
Comments
Racism
As surprising as this article was to me, i had recently read another article similar to this one at the beginning of my current semester in this class. Not only is racism physically harming the black community, but it is also mentally and internally killing black americans as well. The article i read similar to this one talked about how studies have also proven that racism has a negative effect on the unborn fetus's of African American women. Really america is it not time to end the racism. No matter how hard White's try they are never going to diminish the African American race. But i guess with these new found studies they are probable thinking yes they are since their actions are more than physically disabling for the African American race. Another sad thing is that even though we have studies that have proven that racism is harming African Americans more than just physically. What can anyone do about it, im sure that the cure is to end racism, but we have been fighting for that cure since the beginning of time. So now what, what choices do we have for a better tomorrow, not only for us but for our children as well, who are being affected by this while they are still in our womb. If we cant protect them while they are still inside of us, how much of a chance do we have to protect them when they are born into the real world, where it only gets worst!!!!!
Racism on Mental and Physical well-being
The issue of physical and mental health being caused by racism was not surprising to me at all. What was surprising was that the issue is only being discussed now. I have read a few articles about racism taking its toll on racial minorities, and the Janice Ellis is right, this should be “high on our national agendas.” You see numerous discussions on the effects that racism has on our minority groups, but hardly anything has been done to help this ongoing issue. Now, studies have been conducted to research more in depth of this issue of mental and physical health that results from victims of racism, especially blacks, and the results are emotionally moving. Similar to bullying, racism is now seen as a factor that causes serious mental and physical illness. It saddens me that this is happening, not only to the black minorities, but to other racial minorities as well. Although racism is still present today, it should not be taken lightly, and we should take action in permanently fixing this problem.