The Intersecting Consequences of Race-Gender Health Disparities on Workforce Engagement for Older Workers: An Examination of Physical and Mental Health

More than just double discrimination: a scoping review of the experiences and impact of ableism and racism in employment

PURPOSE

Research has shed light on the employment barriers faced by individuals with disabilities, and by racialized people. The challenges faced by people belonging to both marginalized groups are less well-understood. The purpose of this scoping review was to examine existing research on labour market and workplace experiences of racialized people with disabilities, and to identify how ableism and racism intersect to shape employment experiences and outcomes.

METHODS

Seven international databases were searched, covering the period from 2000 to April 2022. Four reviewers independently conducted the screening, and data extraction and analysis were performed on 44 articles that met our inclusion criteria.

RESULTS

The findings highlighted rates of workplace ableism and racism (including discrimination allegations and perceived discrimination); types and forms of experiences arising from the intersection of ableism and racism (including unique individual stereotyping and systemic and institutional discrimination); and the role of other demographic variables. The intersection of ableism and racism impacted labour market outcomes, well-being in the workplace, and career/professional advancement.

CONCLUSIONS

Our review highlights the need for greater in-depth research focusing explicitly on the intersection of ableism and racism (and of other forms of discrimination), to better understand and address the barriers that racialized people with disabilities face in employment.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONThe experiences of racialized people with disabilities have been under explored, and clinicians and rehabilitation specialists should consider incorporating intersectionality into their practices to better understand and serve these populations.Ableism and racism do not operate in isolation, and clinicians and other professionals need to be aware that racialized people with disabilities may face unique challenges and barriers as a result.Service providers should aim to address gaps and inequities in services faced by racialized people with disabilities which may prevent them from finding and/or maintaining meaningful employment.

A Critical Race Theory Analysis of Mental Health Disparities Research

Health disparities and the impact of racism on the mental and physical health of people of color has been well-documented. However, health research has historically approached race as a genetic and biological attribute to explain differences in health outcomes. Although more recent policies and research have begun to move toward conceptualizing race as a socially constructed category that can be thought of as a proxy for racism, the ways in which race and racism are conceptualized in mental health disparities research needs deeper analysis. Using critical race theory (CRT) and content analysis, we investigate how mental health research has examined race, racism, and mental health in PubMed articles published between 2012 and 2022. Findings suggest a need for more complex conceptualizations of race, particularly related to essentialized, monoracial framings that rarely explore how race is defined and employed. Much of the research analyzed did not position racism, discrimination, or oppression as central to contextualizing racial mental health disparities. Additionally, the role of voice was often missing, limiting understandings of racialized experiences. Results of this analysis illuminate areas the need for more racism conscious approaches to understanding racial disparities in mental health and identifying opportunities to promote health equity.

Intersectional Approaches to Minority Aging Research

Purpose of Review

Growing racial/ethnic diversity among America's older adults necessitates additional research specifically focused on health and well-being among aging minoritized populations. Although Black and Latinx adults in the USA tend to face worse health outcomes as they age, substantial evidence points to unexpected health patterns (e.g., the race paradox in mental health, the Latino health paradox) that challenge our understanding of health and aging among these populations. In this review, we demonstrate the value of intersectionality theory for clarifying these health patterns and highlight the ways that intersectionality has been applied to minority aging research. To advance the field, we also make several recommendations for incorporating intersectional approaches in future scholarship on minority aging.

Recent Findings

Scholars have applied intersectional approaches to health and aging to unravel how social statuses and social conditions, such as race, ethnicity, gender, nativity, incarceration history, geographic region, and age, produce distinct shared experiences that shape health trajectories through multiple mechanisms.

Summary

We highlight common intersectional approaches used in minority aging research and underscore the value of this perspective for elucidating the complex, and often unexpected, health patterns of aging minoritized populations. We identify several key lessons and propose recommendations to advance scholarship on minority aging.