Racial and Ethnic Identity, Discrimination, and Psychiatric Disorders (2 CE)

This course is for:  Clinical Psychologists, Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Nurses

Course By: Paula Lin, LMFT

Content By: Woo, B., Fan, W., Tran, T.V., et al. (2019). The role of racial/ethnic identity in the association between racial discrimination and psychiatric disorders: A buffer or exacerbator? SSM - Population Health, 7. doi:10.1016/j.ssmph.2019.100378.

Course Description: Racial discrimination experiences are positively associated with increased psychological burden across all racial/ethnic groups. Racial and ethnic identity appear to mediate the effects of discrimination based on high, moderate, or low racial/ethnic identity-level, cultural values (i.e. collectivistic vs. individualistic), and native citizenship or immigrant status. Participants who identified highly with their white, American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN), or Latin identities reported greater levels of psychological stress in response to discrimination. Conversely, Asian and black participants with moderate racial/ethnic identity-levels reported lower levels of psychological stress in response to discrimination. Externalizing disorders (e.g. substance use disorders) were strongly associated with individualistic cultures (i.e. whites and blacks). Internalizing disorders (e.g. mood or anxiety disorders) were strongly associated with the collectivistic cultures of AI/AN, Asian, and Latinx participants. US born participants reported greater psychological stress following racial discrimination experiences compared to immigrant participants.

Learning Objectives:

1. Define racial/ethnic identity and discrimination and understand how these terms relate to the individual’s self-concept and mental health
2. Review and understand the research methods and resultant data analysis
3. Recognize how the impact of discrimination can be mediated by racial/ethnic identity
4. Identify how the research findings may be beneficial for mental health disorder treatment

Course Outline:

1. Read and understand The Role of Racial/Ethnic Identity in the Association between Racial Discrimination and Psychiatric Disorders: A Buffer or Exacerbator?
2. Review the Course Description and Learning Objectives
3. Identify how racial/ethnic identity mediates the impact of discrimination on mental health
4. Work through the post-test questions; answer selections should be derived from the respective article/source
5. Return to the referenced article/source for any missed questions and/or to review the suggested areas for future research studies

Approvals: