And while, in recent years, clinicians who advocate for the study of race-based trauma have made strides in promoting this work, most mental health programs still do not offer official training around racial trauma — a debilitating effect of racism and discrimination.
Racial trauma comprises the mental and physical effects and consequences that Black, indigenous and people of color experience after being exposed to racism.
In order for Black people to address their experiences and ultimately work toward healing, racial trauma needs to be acknowledged and implemented into mental health treatment trainings — because, as the experts we spoke to emphasized, racial trauma has its own set of challenges and effects for victims.
When looking at racial health disparities, experiences of discrimination that lead to wear and tear on the body can result not only in certain chronic illnesses that are prevalent within the Black community, but can also lead to diagnosable mental health concerns like depression and anxiety, Jernigan-Noesi said.
“When we start looking at racial trauma and, in particular, cumulative racial trauma, the idea is that racism and racial discrimination is usually not a singular experience for many folks,” Jernigan-Noesi said.
