Black Mental Health Matters: Microtrauma and Microaggressions in Communities, Part I

In honor of National Black History Month

Black Mental Health Matters: Microtrauma and Microaggressions in Communities of Color Part I

Black Mental Health Matters is a two-part webinar facilitated by Dr. Eunice Peterson, a board-certified Adult, and Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist. The webinar is an interactive presentation with a Q&A session designed to provide participants with an understanding of how racism impacts mental health.

PART I: Dr. Peterson will present information on the history of racism in healthcare, the stigma of mental healthcare in communities of color, and the impact of microtraumas and microaggressions on the mental health/wellness in communities of color. Part I of this webinar program will focus on how the history of racism impacts the delivery and accessibility of mental health care in communities of color. While
both Part I and Part II of “Black Mental Health Matters” are open to all participants, Part I of the series will provide insights specific to healthcare providers and the staff that support them.

PART I

Learning Objectives

• Discuss the history that informs the barriers to seeking mental healthcare in the Black community/communities of color and to learn some of the ways in which racism impacts mental health.
• Describe the key determinants of racial equity in delivering mental health services and to sensitize healthcare professionals to the equity challenges across race in mental health services.
• Identify ways in which police brutality and other forms of institutional racism impact the mental health in the Black community and communities of color.
• Provide patient/patient communities and mental healthcare providers with insights into how micro trauma and microaggressions (related to racism) impact mental health.
• How black mental health matters micro trauma and microaggressions (related to racism) impact the mental health of students in the classroom.

Black Mental Health Matters: Microtrauma and Microaggressions in Communities of Color Part I 

Webinar Air Date: February 11, 2021, 2:30 PM to 4:00 PM

Presenter: Dr. Eunice Peterson

Presentation References: 

• Structural Discrimination: The Unequal Opportunity Race, Kennedy BR, Mathis CC, Woods AK. African Americans and their distrust of the health care system: healthcare for diverse populations. J Cult Divers. 2007 Summer;14(2):56-60. PMID: 19175244.
• 5 Unethical Medical Experiments That Used Black People As Guinea Pigs (atlantablackstar.com) McEwen BS, Seeman T. Annals NY Acad Sci. 1999 Dec;896(1):30-47.
• ​(mayoclinicproceedings.org)
• ​Advancing Racial Equity Webinar Series (apha.org)
• 4 Types of Racism — Diversity & Education (diversityandeducation.org)
• The Difference Between Racism and Prejudice. We Explain It All (entitymag.com)
• Stith AY, Nelson AR. (2002). Committee on Understanding and Eliminating Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care, Board on Health Policy. Institute of Medicine. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
• Any Disorder Among Children. (n.d.) Retrieved March 9, 2017 from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/prevalence/any-disorder-among-children.shtml
• Any Mental Illness (AMI) Among Adults. (n.d.). Retrieved March 9, 2017, from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/prevalence/any-mental-illness-ami-among-adults.shtml
• Use of Mental Health Services and Treatment Among Children. (n.d.). Retrieved March 9, 2017, from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/prevalence/use-of-mental-health-services-and-treatment-among-children.shtml