Symposia
Racial Trauma
Arghavan Nepton, None
PhD Student; Research Assistant
University of Ottawa
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Dana Strauss, B.S.
Doctoral Student
University of Ottawa
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Hesam Farahani, MA
Research Assistant
Carleton University
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Jade I. Gallo, B.S.
Research Assistant
University of Connecticut
Brooklyn, New York
Monnica T. Williams, ABPP, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, clinical psychologist
University of Ottawa
Tolland, Connecticut
Microaggressions have been found to cause stress, anxiety, depression, PTSD, as well as physical ailments, such as hypertension and impaired immune response. Long term and consistent exposure to racial microaggressions can lead to detriamong BIPOC. The University of Ottawa has taken great efforts to ensure an equitable and inclusive University environment for everyone. The president of the University of Ottawa has created a new position, Special Advisor to the President on Diversity and Inclusion, to create an action plan and maintain momentum on this front. In line with these efforts, this study aimed to better understand the experiences and challenges of BIPOC youth at uOttawa with the objective of fostering a safe and supportive environment for Black, Indigenous, and people of colour (BIPOC) to learn and grow. To that end, we distributed a survey to assess psychological symptoms of distress and racial stress and trauma, as well as experiences with law enforcement. Participants completed measures related to experiences of microaggression and discrimination in general and on campus, as well as measures of affect and racial trauma symptoms. To date, 148 BIPOC participants (Mean age: 20) have been recruited, and data collection is ongoing. However, the preliminary analysis revealed racial disparities in the frequency and severity of experiences of racial discrimination in general and on campus, as well as correlations between racial discrimination, affect, and racial trauma symptoms. There were significant differences in frequency of racial discrimination across the BIPOC. Frequency of recent and lifetime discrimination, frequency of racial microaggressions, as well as stress from discrimination are correlated with negative affect (r = .22, p = .001; r = .27, p < .001; r = .14, p = .037; r = .32, p < .001, respectively) and highly correlated with racial trauma symptoms (rs = .42, .63, .49, .65, ps < .001, respectively). We will also report on correlates of frequency of discriminatory symptoms and mental health indicators. This research will provide a better understanding of the unique challenges and experiences of BIPOC students at uOttawa with the hope of eventually creating a more equitable and inclusive campus and urban environment for all students.