It's Black History Month, and we are going to finish out the month by talking about

racial trauma.

If you've ever wondered if racism has an impact on overall health, I have some answers

for you.

Welcome back to Savvy Psychologist.

I'm your host, Dr. Monica Johnson.

Every week on this show, I'll help you face life challenges with evidence-based approaches,

a sympathetic ear and zero judgment.

So why are we talking about this?

Racism is real, and its effects can be deadly at worst, and decrease the overall quality

of our lives and mental health at best.

Encounters with racism and discrimination are significantly associated with higher rates

of depression and stress-related trauma symptoms.

Many discrimination is associated with over five times higher odds of a suicide attempt.

Depressive symptoms mediate the relationship between discrimination and suicidality, ultimately

increasing the risk of suicidal ideation and attempts.

In order to understand racial trauma, you have to understand how racism shows up in our

society.

Now I could do an entire episode on this topic, but here are three big categories of how

racism impacts our lives.

You might be familiar with systemic or structural racism, which is the development of policies,

procedures, laws, and practices to benefit and maintain white people in power.

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