A Call to Action for an Antiracist Clinical Science

Abstract

Clinical psychological science is a field committed to reducing the negative impact of psychiatric illness through innovative research and psychological treatments. Unfortunately, the impact of racial injustices that pervade American society and permeate our academic institutions is felt not only by the individuals who work in our departments as faculty, staff, and students, but also by those who seek our services as mental health providers. Representing the collective work of numerous graduate students and postdoctoral trainees from multiple institutions, this call to action instantiates the need for prompt and consistent efforts towards dismantling institutionalized racism and inequity in clinical science. Specifically, we articulate the multiple roles our field plays in perpetuating racial oppression and outline concrete demands and recommendations for structural reform in the following key areas: (1) the mental health needs of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) students, (2) clinical training and supervision, (3) curriculum and pedagogical approaches, (4) research and methods, and (5) the recruitment, retention, and success of graduate students and faculty.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation among Ph.D. students

“…Despite the high prevalence of mental health and substance use problems 87 , Ph.D. students demonstrate low rates of help-seeking 40,52,88 . Common barriers to help-seeking include fears of harming one's academic career, financial insecurity, lack of time, and lack of awareness [89][90][91] , as well as health care systems-related barriers, including insufficient numbers of culturally competent counseling staff, limited access to psychological services beyond time-limited psychotherapies, and lack of programs that address the specific needs either of Ph.D. students in general 92 or of Ph.D. students belonging to marginalized groups 93,94 . Structural interventions focused solely on enhancing student resilience might include programs aimed at reducing stigma, fostering social cohesion, and reducing social isolation, while changing norms around help-seeking behavior 95,96 .…”

Confronting Racism in All Forms of Pain Research: A Shared Commitment for Engagement, Diversity, and Dissemination

“…Researchers should advocate for specific, actionable departmental policies where racialized disparities can be discussed and action plans are developed, including regularly (e.g., once a semester or term) collecting anonymous student data through climate surveys, paired with transparent, aggregate reporting of the survey's results. Key points from the survey need to lead directly to change 48 .…”

“…In addition to the personal and professional development resources described above, funding sources for minoritized graduate and postdoctoral students have been developed across numerous academic institutions. If an initiative does not exist, providing active support for such an effort and highlighting the need to improve recruitment of racialized groups at the institution can be a shared goal 48 . External funding for racialized students is also available through grant opportunities in the USA from private foundations such as the William T. Grant Foundation 124 and federal through the NIH diversity supplements 66 .…”

“…With regard to study limitations, pain researchers defend and discuss the limitations of all aspects of our research design and analyses. We advocate that the same care and attention be extended to antiracism practices so that these practices and self-critique of our work through an antiracism lens become the norm for research dissemination across all pain disciplines 48 .…”

Psychology's Contributions to Anti-Blackness in the United States within Psychological Research, Criminal Justice, and Mental Health

“…• Establish relationships with community partners to foster warm hand-offs to quality mental health care for individuals re-entering the community after incarceration or for those actively justice-involved but not incarcerated (e.g., on parole or probation) • Acknowledge and attempt to disentangle the role(s) that forensic psychologists fill openly with justice-involved clients in early sessions of therapy • Act with therapeutic jurisprudence -i.e., supporting the "overarching dignity of clients and the community while attending to the core values of freedom and well-being" of justice involved individuals (Birgen & Perlin, 2009, p. 262)in order to deliver services in correctional institutions with the promotion of human values as enacted in law (for a lengthy discussion on therapeutic jurisprudence, see Birgen & Perlin, 2009) • Recognize the ways in which the correctional system and the businesses that profit within the system may affect the roles psychologists are asked to play Galán et al, 2021;Klukoff et al, 2021), the status quo remains. We refuse to accept the status quo within psychological research and practice, and urge all psychologists, current and future, to become active in changing our field's relationship with and inclusion of Black people, as colleagues, clients, participants, and community members.…”