Coping while Black: Racism’s Impact on Mental Health-View Presentation -

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Video Summary

In today's "Coping While Black" webinar, Dr. Brianna Brownlow discussed the impact of racism on mental health. She described racism as a chronic and unique form of stress that is deeply embedded in society. This ongoing stress, known as racialized stress, can lead to physical and mental health disparities among Black Americans. Dr. Brownlow highlighted the concept of culturally compelled coping, which is a style of coping that Black Americans often employ to navigate racially stressful environments. This style of coping, based on the John Henryism and Superwoman schema, involves inhibiting emotions, suppressing vulnerability, and exerting high levels of self-control. While this coping style can be adaptive in the face of racism, it can also be physically and emotionally taxing in the long run, leading to health disparities. Dr. Brownlow suggested that heart rate variability may be a biomarker of this coping style, with higher heart rate variability reflecting greater use of resources to regulate. She emphasized the need for a dialectical approach to healing, balancing the realities of racial oppression with the imagination of new possibilities. Additionally, Dr. Brownlow stressed the importance of community support in promoting healing among marginalized populations. She encouraged mental health professionals to consider the cultural and social context in their assessments and treatment approaches, while also advocating for policy and systemic changes to address the root causes of racial health disparities.

Keywords

Coping While Black

webinar

racism

mental health

racialized stress

Black Americans

culturally compelled coping

John Henryism

Superwoman schema

heart rate variability