Racially-motivated housing discrimination experienced by Indigenous postsecondary students in Canada: impacts on PTSD symptomology and perceptions of university stress

Prevalence of Current PTSD Symptoms Among a Sample of Black Individuals Aged 15 to 40 in Canada: The Major Role of Everyday Racial Discrimination, Racial Microaggresions, and Internalized Racism

OBJECTIVE

Most Black individuals in Canada report having experienced racial discrimination. Although previous studies have shown that there is a strong relationship between racial discrimination and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), no studies in Canada have documented this association among Black individuals. The present study documents (1) the prevalence of PTSD among Black individuals using data from the Black Communities Mental Health project and (2) risk factors associated with PTSD, including racial microaggressions, everyday racial discrimination, and internalized racism.

METHOD

A total of 860 participants (75.6% of women) aged 15 to 40 years old (M = 24.96, SD = 6.29) completed questionnaires assessing PTSD, experience of traumatic events, racial microaggressions, everyday racial discrimination, and internalized racism.

RESULTS

Findings showed that 95.1% of participants reported exposure to at least one traumatic event during their lifetime. In total, 67.11% of participants reported probable PTSD with no significant difference between men and women (68.2% and 67.8%, χ² = 0.132, p = 0.72). Participants born in Canada were more likely to experience significant PTSD symptoms, compared to those born abroad (70.92% and 53.14%, χ² = 19.69, p < 0.001). A multivariable linear regression model of PTSD symptoms was computed using sociodemographic variables and exposure to traumatic events as independent variables, which explained 25.9% of the variance. In addition to these variables, a second model included racial microaggressions, everyday racial microaggressions, and internalized racism, which explained 51.8% of the variance. The model showed that traumatic events (b = 0.6; p = 0.02), racial microaggressions (b = 0.5; p < 0.001), everyday discrimination (b = 0.2; p = 0.03) and internalized racism (b = 0.5; p < 0.001) were positively associated with PTSD symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

This article highlights the detrimental consequences of racial discrimination against Black people in Canada. Prevention and mental health programs aimed at mitigating its consequences on the lives of Black people and other racialized populations must be implemented.

Having Hard Conversations About Racism Within Nursing Education: A Collaborative Process of Developing an Antiracism Action Plan

BACKGROUND

Multiple events that occurred in the United States in early 2020 prompted a widespread response to address racism that exists within systemic and social structures. Third-year psychiatric nursing students at a small Western Canadian university answered the call to action by initiating a process to address racism within clinical and educational settings in their faculty.

METHODS

The researchers used collaborative autoethnography to examine the experience of students and faculty working collaboratively to create a Faculty of Health Studies antiracism action plan.

RESULTS

The reflections of the student and faculty researchers highlighted three major themes: what inspired the work of creating an antiracism action plan, doing the work, and lessons learned.

CONCLUSION

Engaging in this research provided an opportunity to critically reflect on the process of students and faculty working together in establishing an antiracism action plan. [J Nurs Educ. 2022;61(8):461-468.].

The Traumatizing Impact of Racism in Canadians of Colour

Purpose of Review

While research has identified racial trauma in other contexts, it is often overlooked amongst Canadian society. Racial trauma occurs as a result of an event of racism or cumulative events over time whereby an individual experiences stress and consequent mental health sequelae. Given that the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and/or Person of Colour) population in Canada is increasing, it is imperative to identify racial discrimination and the subsequent stress and trauma associated with being racialized in Canada, which subjects BIPOC Canadians to various forms of racism, including microaggressions.

Recent Findings

This paper reviews the published literature on racism and racial discrimination that identifies or infers racial trauma as the source of the mental health implications for various groups (e.g., Indigenous people, Black Canadians, Asian Canadians, immigrants, and refugees). In addition, intersectionality of racialized persons is prominent to their psychological well-being as their psychosocial and socioeconomic position are complex. Therefore, this paper both provides insight into the Canadian experience as a person of colour and signifies the need for further research on racial trauma in a Canadian context.

Summary

Despite Canada’s emphasis on multiculturalism, racialized individuals are at risk for racial trauma due to prejudice and discrimination. The politicization of multiculturalism has permitted Canada to deny claims of racism, yet the historical basis of established institutions results in irrefutable systemic and systematic barriers for Canadian people of colour.

Prevalence, Demographic, and Clinical Correlates of Likely PTSD in Subscribers of Text4Hope during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, people may experience increased risk of adverse mental health, particularly post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Methods: A survey measured stress, anxiety, depression, and PTSD symptoms in Text4Hope subscribers using the Perceived Stress Scale, Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-Item Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 Part 3, respectively. A Chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression were employed. Results: Most respondents were 41–60 years old (49.5%), Caucasian (83.3%), with post-secondary education (92.1%), employed (70.3%), married/cohabiting/partnered (64.9%), and homeowners (71.7%). Likely PTSD was reported in 46.8% of the respondents. Those who were afraid to contract the coronavirus had a history of depression before the pandemic, and those who received counselling during the pandemic exhibited a high prevalence of likely PTSD (OR (1.7 to 2.2)). Significant lower odds of likely PTSD were observed among subscribers who received absolute support from family/friends. Conclusions: This paper presents findings on the prevalence of likely PTSD and identified vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our results support the proposal that public health advice should incorporate mental health wellness campaigns aiming to reduce the psychological impact of pandemics.

Wellbeing of Indigenous Peoples in Canada, Aotearoa (New Zealand) and the United States: A Systematic Review

Despite the health improvements afforded to non-Indigenous peoples in Canada, Aotearoa (New Zealand) and the United States, the Indigenous peoples in these countries continue to endure disproportionately high rates of mortality and morbidity. Indigenous peoples' concepts and understanding of health and wellbeing are holistic; however, due to their diverse social, political, cultural, environmental and economic contexts within and across countries, wellbeing is not experienced uniformly across all Indigenous populations. We aim to identify aspects of wellbeing important to the Indigenous people in Canada, Aotearoa and the United States. We searched CINAHL, Embase, PsycINFO and PubMed databases for papers that included key Indigenous and wellbeing search terms from database inception to April 2020. Papers that included a focus on Indigenous adults residing in Canada, Aotearoa and the United States, and that included empirical qualitative data that described at least one aspect of wellbeing were eligible. Data were analysed using the stages of thematic development recommended by Thomas and Harden for thematic synthesis of qualitative research. Our search resulted in 2669 papers being screened for eligibility. Following full-text screening, 100 papers were deemed eligible for inclusion (Aotearoa (New Zealand) n = 16, Canada n = 43, United States n = 41). Themes varied across countries; however, identity, connection, balance and self-determination were common aspects of wellbeing. Having this broader understanding of wellbeing across these cultures can inform decisions made about public health actions and resources.

The Impact of Racially Motivated Housing Discrimination on Allostatic Load among Indigenous University Students

Allostatic load (AL) is an aggregate measure of wear and tear on the body due to the chronic activation of the stress response system. The goal of this study was to examine the association between racially motivated housing discrimination (HD) and AL score within a sample of Indigenous university students. Data for this cross-sectional study were collected from Indigenous adults attending university in a small city in western Canada between 2015 and 2017 (N = 104; mean age = 27.8 years). An item adapted from the Experience of Discrimination Scale was to assess racially motivated HD in the past 12 months. AL was measured as a composite of 7 biomarkers assessing neuroendocrine, cardiovascular, metabolic, and immune system function. Bias-corrected and accelerated bootstrapped linear regression models were used to examine associations adjusting for age, income, parenthood, and other situations in which discrimination had been experienced. Indigenous university students who experienced racially motivated HD in the past year (16.8% of the sample) had an average AL score of approximately 4, which was almost double that of their peers who had not. In an adjusted model, racially motivated HD was associated with a 1.5 point increase in AL score. This model explained 35% of the adjusted variance in AL score, of which racially motivated HD explained 24%. These results suggest Indigenous adults who experienced racially motivated HD in the past year had early and more pronounced wear and tear on neuroendocrine, cardiovascular, metabolic, and immune system functioning in young and middle adulthood than Indigenous peers who did not. These findings combine with others to highlight the need for increased efforts to prevent racially motivated HD in urban centers.