Racial trauma: theory, research, and healing: introduction to the special issue
Abstract
Racial trauma, a form of race-based stress, refers to People of Color and Indigenous individuals' (POCI) reactions to dangerous events and real or perceived experiences of racial discrimination. Such experiences may include threats of harm and injury, humiliating and shaming events, and witnessing racial discrimination toward other POCI. Although similar to posttraumatic stress disorder, racial trauma is unique in that it involves ongoing individual and collective injuries due to exposure and reexposure to race-based stress. The articles in this special issue introduce new conceptual approaches, research, and healing models to challenge racial trauma. The authors encourage psychologists to develop culturally informed healing modalities and methodologically sophisticated research and urge the inclusion of public policy interventions in the area of racial trauma. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
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Systematic disadvantaging within cultural institutions may foster health disparities by fomenting racism, worsening health through racial trauma, social deprivation, residential segregation, and unequal health care access.
“Additionally, research suggests systematic disadvantaging within cultural institutions may foster health disparities by fomenting racism; worsening health through multiple mechanisms including racial trauma (Comas-Díaz et al., 2019), social deprivation (Bailey et al., 2017), residential segregation (Williams and Collins, 2016), and unequal health care access (Flores, 2010; Smedley et al., 2003).”
From Cultural trauma as a fundamental cause of health disparities (2022) · cites this paper as Comas-Díaz et al., 2019
What sets racial trauma apart from PTSD is the constant and cumulative impact of microaggressions and other forms of racial discrimination that BIPOC communities are exposed to.
“According to various studies, what sets racial trauma apart from PTSD is the constant and cumulative impact of microaggressions and other forms of racial discrimination that BIPOC communities are exposed to”
From Complex Racial Trauma: Evidence, Theory, Assessment, and Treatment (2023) · cites this paper as Comas-Díaz et al., 2019
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“According to various studies, what sets racial trauma apart from PTSD is the constant and cumulative impact of microaggressions and other forms of racial discrimination that BIPOC communities are exposed to (Comas-Díaz et al., 2019; Harrell, 2000; Williams, Metzger, et al., 2018).”
BackgroundCultural trauma as a fundamental cause of health disparities
Subica, A. M., & Link, B. G. (2022) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.114574 · Cited by 123 · see citing works
“Additionally, research suggests systematic disadvantaging within cultural institutions may foster health disparities by fomenting racism; worsening health through multiple mechanisms including racial trauma (Comas-Díaz et al., 2019), social deprivation (Bailey et al.”
BackgroundPantazakos, T., & Vanaken, G.-J. (2023) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1225152 · Cited by 59 · see citing works
“It is documented that Black and trans people benefit from and, one could argue, consequently deserve access to, additional treatment than white and cisgender people to deal with related trauma (Korell and Lorah, 2007; Comas-Díaz et al., 2019).”
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A call to dismantle systemic racism in criminal legal systems.
Najdowski, C. J., & Stevenson, M. C. (2022) · Law and Human Behavior · doi:10.1037/lhb0000510 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
- Authors
- Comas-Díaz, L., Hall, G. N., & Neville, H. A.
- Affiliations
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (US)
- ORCID
- Neville, Helen A.
- Venue
- American Psychologist
- Published
- 2019-01
- Volume
- 74
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 1-5
- ISSN
- 0003-066X (ISSN-L)
- 1935-990X
- OpenAlex
- W2909428553
- Semantic Scholar
- 95fc10e5c41aa1042ab3e119fe4f6c436c304bea
- Cited by
- 526
- References
- 29
- Citations by year
- 2026: 64 · 2025: 87 · 2024: 80 · 2023: 89 · 2022: 91 · 2021: 80 · 2020: 28 · 2019: 7
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- American Psychologist (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Racial and Ethnic Identity Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Counseling Practices and Supervision
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
- Keywords
- racial trauma, racial discrimination, people of color, indigenous peoples, post-traumatic stress disorder, collective trauma, public policy interventions
- MeSH terms
- Historical Trauma, Humans, Psychology, Social, Stress, Psychological, Racism
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