Assessment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder with African Americans

Williams, Monnica T.; Malcoun, Emily; Nouri, Leyla Bahojb

doi:10.1007/978-1-4939-1004-5_11

Cited by 5 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 64 publications

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“…The Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM; Roberts et al, 1999) is a 12-item self-report measure designed to quantify ethnic identity and its components, notably affirmation/belonging and the process of learning about and becoming involved in one’s ethnic group. Examples of items are “I have a lot of pride in my ethnic group and its accomplishments” and “I am active in organizations or social groups that include mostly members of my own ethnic group.” This study utilized a shorter six-item version (MEIM-6; Williams et al, 2015). Reliability was good in both POC samples (α 1 = .87, α 2 = .84).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Examples of items are "I have a lot of pride in my ethnic group and its accomplishments" and "I am active in organizations or social groups that include mostly members of my own ethnic group." This study utilized a shorter six-item version (MEIM-6; Williams et al, 2015). Reliability was good in both POC samples (a 1 = .87, a 2 = .84).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…; DSM–5 ; First et al, 2015), among others. However, few, if any, include racial-trauma-specific prompts or were validated using people of color (Williams et al, 2015; Williams, Metzger, et al, 2018). Moreover, the majority of existing PTSD measures assess client impacts following a distinct traumatic event and not the accumulation of several events of varying impact over the lifetime, as is commonly experienced with racial trauma.…”

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confidence: 99%

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A clinical scale for the assessment of racial trauma.

Williams¹,

Osman²,

Gallo³

et al. 2022

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Racism has been linked to the development or worsening of mental health disorders. When posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms occur due to experiences of racism, it may be referred to as race-based traumatic stress or racial trauma. More work is needed to quantify the distress experienced by those affected. The present study aimed to assess the validity of the Racial Trauma Scale (RTS), a new clinical tool for the measurement of trauma-related symptoms arising from race-based maltreatment of people of color (POC). Using CloudResearch (formerly Amazon Mechanical TurkPrime), 941 diverse participants across the United States were included in the study-POC (n = 665) and non-Hispanic White participants (n = 276). The results validated a three-factor structure, with 10 items on each component, for a total of 30 items. The three components can be described as Lack of Safety, Negative Cognitions, and Difficulty Coping. Reliability of the RTS and the three subscales were excellent, and the RTS scale was positively correlated with other measures of mental health and trauma. Furthermore, there was a significant difference in RTS scores between POC and non-Hispanic White participants. Based on these findings, the RTS appears to be a valid means of quantifying racial trauma symptoms in POC. The ultimate goal of the RTS is to identify racial trauma to improve the mental health of marginalized racial/ethnic groups. The RTS can be used in clinical or research settings to ascertain racial trauma in clients and inform treatment.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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A clinical scale for the assessment of racial trauma.

Williams¹,

Osman²,

Gallo³

et al. 2022

Practice Innovations

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“…While the DSM-5 definition of trauma focuses on discrete events, racial trauma may not fit this traditional conceptualization because a trauma reaction due to racial trauma may be a response to an accumulation of experiences of racism (Bryant-Davis & Ocampo, 2006; Comas-Díaz, 2016). Consequently, individuals may not be able to link their trauma symptoms to a singular event and could therefore be missed on a traditional trauma screener (Williams et al, 2015).…”

Section: Racialized Traumamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Following the respective event, both types of victims may blame themselves and feel shame because they were not able to do anything to stop the incident (Bryant-Davis & Ocampo, 2005). Williams et al (2015) note race-based traumas may include “witnessing ethnoviolence or discrimination of another, historical or personal memory of racism, institutional racism, microaggressions, and the constant threat of racial discrimination” (p. 165). Experiences of racism such as those noted above are widespread in the United States.…”

Section: Racialized Traumamentioning

confidence: 99%

Trauma, Help-Seeking, and the Strong Black Woman

White

Swan

Smith

2023

Journal of Black Psychology

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Research suggests when confronted with hardship, Black women in the United States seek help less than other. This finding may be explained by the cultural stereotype of the Strong Black Woman (SBW). SBW consists of three factors: Mask of Strength, Self-Reliance/Strength, and Caretaking. The current study examined the connection between self-endorsement of SBW and help-seeking behavior and intention, following a traumatic event for Black college women. The SBW full scale was not significantly related to actual help-seeking or intention to seek help. However, post-hoc analyses indicated the three SBW subscales had both positive and negative effects. Greater endorsement of the Caretaking and Self-Reliance subscales positively predicted actual help-seeking and formal actual help-seeking, respectively. However, greater endorsement of the Mask of Strength subscale predicted less help-seeking and fewer intentions to seek help. The findings indicated a more nuanced approach may be needed when studying SBW or working in clinical settings. It may be helpful to bolster aspects of the stereotype, such as the desire to be a good caretaker, while redefining other aspects, such as emotional invulnerability.

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