Category: Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders and Disasters
Asnaani, A., Charlery White, S.-A. R., & Phillip, T.-M. (2020). Mobilizing mental health training efforts to align with advocacy for disenfranchised groups in global contexts: Trauma-related training in the Caribbean as an example. the Behavior Therapist, 43(7), 254–260.
,Spoont, M. R., Sayer, N. A., Kehle-Forbes, S. M., Meis, L. A., & Nelson, D. B. (2017). A prospective study of racial and ethnic variation in VA psychotherapy services for PTSD. Psychiatric Services, 68(3), 231-237.
, McClendon, J., Kressin, N., Perkins, D., Copeland, L. A., Finley, E. P., & Vogt, D. (2021). The Impact of Discriminatory Stress on Changes in Post traumatic Stress Severity at the Intersection of Race/Ethnicity and Gender. Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, 22(2), 170-187. doi: 10.1080/15299732.2020.1869079,Alexandria Miller, M.S. (she/her/hers)
Doctoral Student
Suffolk University
Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts
Jessica Graham-Lopresti, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Suffolk University
Boston, Massachusetts
Alexandria Miller, M.S. (she/her/hers)
Doctoral Student
Suffolk University
Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts
Kelly Harper, Ph.D. (she/they)
Postdoctoral fellow
National Center for PTSD
Brookline, Massachusetts
Joseph Carpenter, Ph.D. (he/him/his)
Postdoctoral Fellow
VA Boston Healthcare System
Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts
Manuel Gutierrez Chavez, B.S. (he/him/his)
Graduate Student
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Because of systemic racism and oppression, Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC) are at a higher risk of experiencing traumatic events and also experience trauma and traumatic invalidation in relation to their ethno-racial identity (e.g., racial trauma; Carter, 2007). Research that indicates that BIPOC individuals have higher prevalence, incidence, and severity of PTSD after trauma exposure (e.g., Alegria et al., 2013) and may have a more chronic course of PTSD over time (e.g., Vilsaint et al., 2019). It is imperative that the field of psychology understand how PTSD may present, the course PTSD may take over time, and how BIPOC folx can access effective treatments for PTSD.
This symposium brings together four papers that highlight the importance of understanding how identity factors influence the assessment and course of PTSD symptoms and how to increase access to effective PTSD treatments.
Joseph Carpenter will present data from 651 Veterans of color investigating the relationship between racial discrimination and PTSD symptoms. Joseph’s data indicates that everyday discrimination and race-based event predict PTSD symptoms with similar effect sizes. There were significant indirect effects of both everyday discrimination and race-related events on PTSD symptoms via discrimination stress. Implications of assessment of PTSD symptoms for BIPOC individuals will be discussed.
Alexandria Miller will present longitudinal data from 1,352 U.S. Black and white Veterans over the course of 20 years. Alexandria’s data suggests there are important differences in trauma exposure type, initial PTSD symptom severity following index trauma, and variable change over time for individuals from varying ethno-racial and gender intersectional identities. Implications of possible protective factors and recovery capital mechanisms for PTSD will be discussed.
Kelly Harper will present data from 1,649 Black, Latine, and white Veterans investigating the differences in treatment utilization within the Veteran’s Health Administration. Kelly’s data suggest there are differences in group versus individual therapy utilization depending on intersectional ethno-racial and gender identity of the Veteran. Implications for treatment preferences and access for BIPOC Veterans in VHA will be discussed.
Manuel Gutierrez Chavez will present data from 46 female Caribbean mental health providers who serve female and LGBTQIA+ survivors of trauma who received a one-day training via a psychoeducation and PTSD workshop. Manuel’s data suggests significant increases in participants’ knowledge about PTSD and the effective treatments after this brief training, and importantly, significant maintenance of knowledge and skills usage over time. Implications of training mental health stakeholders, who attend to trauma survivors in global settings and who specifically serve marginalized intersectional trauma survivors, and validation for BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ individuals via public policy will be discussed.
Finally, Jessica Graham-LoPresti will discuss the implications of these presentations and provide suggestions for how we can develop best practices for the future assessment, treatment, and conceptualization for PTSD amongst BIPOC folx.
