Applying Psychological Science, Benefiting Society
From 2001 to 2015, the suicide risk for Black boys between the ages of 5 and 11 was two to three times higher than that of White boys, according to a new research letter in JAMA Pediatrics (Bridge, 2018). This concerning trend continues through adolescence as reported by the Nationwide Youth Risk Behavior Survey (Kann et al., 2017). The rates of attempted suicide, including attempts that resulted in an injury, poisoning, or overdose, are 1.2x higher among Black males compared to White males.
The White supremacist rally which led to the death of one counter-protestor may seem worlds away from the lives we lead in schools, non-profits, government agencies and corporations. Charlottesville represents the most extreme, virulent and lethal form of racism—a form that is repudiated by most everyone. But racism occurs along a continuum. And the far other end is anchored by everyday acts of bias and prejudice.
Witnessing or experiencing race-related trauma damages the psychological wellbeing of minority youth. African American, American Indian, and Latino youth not only encounter race-related trauma in their neighborhoods but also in school. Schools should be a safe space for all children, but some disturbing data prove otherwise.
Welcome back to In Case You Missed It (our weekly roundup of articles touching on psychology, health, mental health and social justice issues from multiple news and commentary websites). This week, we address the impact of stereotypes on women of color, new research indicating that gun violence may be “contagious”, how psychologists are addressing the impact of poverty on […]
Originally posted on Division 17 Older Adult Special Interest Group:
by Kelly Martincin, M.A. My family has a tradition of a light-hearted competition of who can find the funniest birthday card for any family birthday. My brother-in-law’s birthday was last week, so I spent a bit of time in a local card shop trying to find…
By Tarynn Witten, PhD, LCSW (Member, APA Division 44*) & Brian Carpenter, PhD (Member, APA Committee on Aging) The award-winning Amazon Studios series, Transparent, highlights one of the most invisible of invisible groups – transgender older adults. The lead character, Maura Pfefferman (born Mort Pfefferman), has lived most of her life as a man and […]
Welcome to our new feature – In Case You Missed It, a weekly roundup of recent news articles related to issues of psychology, health and mental health, social justice and the public interest that you may be interested in. Why Are Homeless LGBTQ Youth Trading Sex for Shelter? Many of our nation’s homeless youth include […]
By Efua Andoh (Public Interest Communications Staff) This is our 150th post and given that it is the end of the year, we would like to reflect on our blogging journey so far. When Public Interest began this venture in March 2013, we were total novices to blogging. We’ve come a long way since then […]
By Kimberly Hiroto, PhD (Member, APA Committee on Aging) We’re bombarded these days with information about how to prevent aging. Since when did aging become our enemy? Like any part of one’s demographics, age has its upsides and downsides, but somehow it’s permissible to explicitly state our dislike of getting older while similar statements about […]
By Alfiee Breland-Noble, PhD, MHSc (Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Georgetown University Medical Center) Karyn Washington’s unfortunate and untimely passing offers an opportunity for us to reflect on African American women, depression and suicide. In early April 2014, Ms. Karyn Washington took her life after what appears to be a long standing battle with depression. This […]
