Abstract
The concept of "race" and consequently of racism is not a recent phenomenon, although it had profound effects on the lives of populations over the last several hundred years. Using slaves and indentured labor from racial groups designated to be "the others," who was seen as inferior and thus did not deserve privileges, and who were often deprived of the right to life and basic needs as well as freedoms. Thus, creation of "the other" on the basis of physical characteristics and dehumanizing them became more prominent. Racism is significantly related to poor health, including mental health. The impact of racism in psychiatric research and clinical practice is not sufficiently investigated. Findings clearly show that the concept of "race" is genetically incorrect. Therefore, the implicit racism that underlies many established "scientific" paradigms need be changed. Furthermore, to overcome the internalized, interpersonal, and institutional racism, the impact of racism on health and on mental health must be an integral part of educational curricula, from undergraduate levels through continuing professional development, clinical work, and research. In awareness of the consequences of racism at all levels (micro, meso, and macro), recommendations for clinicians, policymakers, and researchers are worked out.
Highlights
Recent racist events in the United States, for example, Black Lives Matter movement [1] in connection with the death of Georg Floyd, have focused the attention of much of the world on the terrible impact of systemic racism on the lives and mental health of communities of color
Regarding the link between racism and its impact on mental health, one study showed that, in a representative sample of British citizens, between 26 and 35% of the studied ethnic minorities groups experienced some form of racial discrimination, and ethnic minority people who reported exposure to racial discrimination had lower mental health (SF-12) = À1.93, [À3.31, À0.56] than those who did not [2]
Racism is pervasive and can manifest in several often-overlapping forms, and we cannot be confident about the absence of systemic bias in psychiatry
Summary
Recent racist events in the United States, for example, Black Lives Matter movement [1] in connection with the death of Georg Floyd, have focused the attention of much of the world on the terrible impact of systemic racism on the lives and mental health of communities of color. Several studies have highlighted the negative impact of racial discrimination on mental health, in relation to the development of affective, psychotic, and substance use disorders [7,13]. The associations of racism with depression, negative mental health, and physical health were significantly different across US ethnic groups [9].
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