Introduction
Trauma is a phenomenon that most of the black youth experience due to factors such as low-income families. Trauma has left a lasting impact on their lives, affecting their ability to socialize, lowering their academic performance, and affecting their mental well-being. Black youths have responded to traumatic events in their lives inappropriately by engaging in risky behaviours such as crime and substance abuse. Trauma in black youths, therefore, is a critical topic that requires in-depth research to guide the development of effective policies for intervention (Pumariega et al., 2022). The population of minority groups has been increasing, and so has the number of children and youth from black community backgrounds.
Reportedly, there is an increasing number of cases of black youths and children suffering from depression, anxiety, substance use, suicide, and post-traumatic stress. The conditions have been associated with childhood trauma that is still prevalent among a majority of black community members. In this paper, we shall look at trauma by understanding it first; then, we shall look at factors that cause trauma and its impact on black youths. Additionally, the paper will address methods that are effective in addressing the issue and analyze the coping mechanisms and effective interventions that have been established so far. Also, we shall look at case studies that examine interventions for resolving trauma in black youth and find gaps for future directions.
What is Trauma?
Trauma is a distressing situation that individuals find challenging to deal with when experiencing it. Trauma can result from the emergence of an incident of a happening that has been recurring for a period. The magnitude of a traumatic incidence differs among individuals and can be experienced at any age. The experience can originate from instances such as violence or victimization such as physical abuse, sexual abuse, loss, domestic violence, or a disaster such as terrorism (Henderson et al., 2019). The affected individuals tend to express helplessness and intense fear with overwhelming stress that hinders their ability to cope with the situation.
Trauma can be categorized as either emotional or physical. Emotional trauma can be acute, whereby an individual responds emotionally after a distressing happening, or chronic, if the response follows a series of distressing events for an extended period, such as a year. Physical trauma, on the other hand, is portrayed when a person causes serious bodily harm to themselves. Children and youth from minority backgrounds in the USA, such as blacks, have reported an increase in traumatic experiences (Pumariega et al., 2022). The experiences have been associated with historical and generational trauma, such as immigration, discriminatory experiences, natural and artificial disasters, family violence, and community violence.
The psychological effects that result from traumatic experiences can be short-term or long-term. The expenses impact the affected individual’s mental, emotional, and physical health. Mental health challenges are anxiety, depression, and challenges when concentrating. In the long term, the effects can develop into Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), chronic anxiety and depression, or complex trauma symptoms such as dissociation if untreated. Black youth experience emotional health issues such as low self-esteem, withdrawal from social interactions, and emotional distress such as guilt and fear. Lastly, physical health deteriorates due to lack of enough sleep, engaging in risky behaviours such as substance abuse, and psychosomatic symptoms like muscle tension and headaches.
Causes of Trauma in Black Youths
Various factors of systemic issues and historical and social-economical dimensions cause trauma in black youth. Black youth have inherited generational trauma originating from historical slavery distressing their families. The inheritance of these traumas can be expressed in various forms, such as parenthood, caregiving practices, and modelling. The Jim Crow era is well-known for the segregation of the black community that institutionalized racism, violence, discrimination, and oppression, leaving a significant impact on the black youth (Galán et al., 2022). The civil rights movements further subjected the youth to trauma through police brutality and systemic discrimination.
Due to economic disparities in black youth families, there have been indifferences in housing, quality health and education, and food security that have been attributed to trauma. Besides, black communities are known to express violence within their neighbourhoods, which traumatizes black youths who witness it. Other social issues such as dysfunctional families such as single parenthood, parents engaged in substance abuse, and maltreatment have significantly increased trauma incidences.
Black youth suffering from trauma have been stigmatized, causing them to avoid seeking help. Despite the available mental health resources and services, the youths with trauma-related symptoms have failed to address them. Structural inequalities have allowed racial discrimination to exacerbate as racial profiling, stereotyping, and implicit bias continue to impact the mental well-being of black youth. Black youths have developed a cultural mistrust due to the history of being exploited for medical researches, which create insecurities about seeking help (Galán et al., 2022). Additionally, structural barriers create limited access to affordable health services due to insufficient insurance coverage and inadequate culturally responsive providers. The black community has also been disrupted by gentrification and displacement that alters urban development, causing instabilities that aggravate trauma among black youths.
Coping and Resilient Strategies
Back youth have shown resilience when it comes to coping with traumatic events, that has proven to work. A resilient framework is developed to enable persons suffering from trauma to adapt positively by interacting with psychological, biological, cultural, and social factors. The coping mechanisms can be defined by either the positive outcome even after a traumatic exposure, ensuring a traumatic incident does not re-occur, or guaranteeing a traumatic situation never occurs (Cory et al., 2020). Some of the protective factors that have enabled black youth to develop resilience towards trauma are;
- Strong social and family support is built from good relationships and role models within the family. Black youths have received help and support from their family members, caregivers, and peers that promote emotional and social well-being by making them feel secure and connected. The presence of grown-ups who can offer a different perspective and coping methods offers additional emotional support.
- The ability to access education and resources such as quality healthcare enhances resilience. An education system with a culturally sensitive curriculum and academic support systems has been shown to impact positive child development (Cory et al., 2020). Black youths take advantage of community resources such as youth organizations and mental health services promoting self-expression.
What hinders black youths from seeking help?
Despite the availability of resilient coping mechanisms, there exist challenges to stigma and cultural and access barriers that hinder black youths from seeking help. Black individuals, especially men, are believed to be strong and should not seek help, a cultural belief that defines men seeking mental help as weak. However, there are systemic inequities such as racism and discrimination in mental health institutions that have contributed to black youth’s fear of seeking help due to mistrust. Cultural mistrust has developed from the history of trauma due to exploitation and racism when getting diagnosed or receiving treatment. Bias (Burkett, 2017). Some of the unethical medical treatments of black individuals, such as the Tuskegee Syphilis Study and forced sterilization, have made black youths mistrust medical institutions.
Racism practices are still manifested in healthcare institutions that have discriminated against black people, with practices such as longer waiting times, misdiagnoses, and insufficient treatment options bolstering the barriers. Health institutions also lack health professionals who are culturally competent to ensure that the needs of individuals from the black community are handled sensitively. However, a majority of black individuals are committed to spiritual beliefs that discourage visiting mental health institutions for help (Burkett, 2017). Such beliefs encourage other spiritual practices, such as prayers, as an intervention for mental wellness. More so, black youths fear being labelled as weak or “crazy” upon disclosing their mental wellness status, leading to discrimination and stigma within their black community.
Gender norms and expectations have also played a significant role; for example, black men are perceived as masculine and thus expected to be self-reliant, creating a barrier to seeking mental wellness (Burkett, 2017). Women might prioritize other roles, such as caregiving, which makes them reluctant to seek mental health.
Effective Interventions
First, the needs of black youths are influenced by their culture. Thus, inventions that are culturally competent help address those needs effectively. The interventions should be developed to match the unique needs of those youths by recognizing their cultural norms, beliefs, and values. As discussed, black youth trauma mainly stems from factors such as historical trauma, socioeconomic inequalities, and discrimination based on race (Smith et al., 2022). Thus, culturally sensitive interventions should consider these issues before developing coping mechanisms and strategies. One way of achieving this is by allowing black community leaders to recognize some practices valued by the culture in the therapy sessions.
Second, educational institutions should incorporate a curriculum that fosters diversity and inclusion. The institutions can help with the timely identification of mental health needs from black students and encourage an environment that is supportive through understanding how trauma impacts the learning process for the youths. Learning institutions should understand how systemic racism and racial biases have traumatizing effects on black students, which can also influence their educational outcomes (Smith et al., 2022). The interventions, therefore, should allow screening for mental wellness, training educators, and offering counselling services to ensure a holistic approach to addressing black students’ trauma.
Third, the community is also responsible for providing a supportive environment for black youths by providing equitable access to government resources that will promote healing and growth. Initiatives that foster collaboration between community organizations and other stakeholders, such as black youth and health professionals, should be implemented. Such programs comprise mentorship, counselling, and peer groups developed to meet specific needs (Smith et al., 2022). Additionally, a community-based approach also has recreational activities that black youths can participate in with other communities and promotes a diverse community that recognizes the needs of each individual. Hence, the approach is therapeutic and allows the black youths to be resilient and accept their culture with pride.
Evaluating Current Policies
A policy change would promote an equitable and supportive environment for black youths. The policy should satisfactorily address the systemic issues that have contributed to the trauma in black youths. First, the criminal justice system should be reformed with policies that promote practices that are fair and just for black communities. The juvenile justice system should also be reformed to provide rehabilitation to the youths rather than punishment. The policies should also seek to end the school-to-prison normality. Policies within the healthcare sector should also consider the inequalities within the health facilities and foster culturally competent health services (Alvarez, 2020). Also, the government should provide adequate funding to healthcare facilities to support trauma-informed care for the back communities.
Disparities in the education sector can also be addressed through policies that ensure equitable funding for black community schools and advocating for a culturally inclusive curriculum. Educators should be sensitized to the importance of a supportive education environment for black youths, thus eradicating biases. A supportive education environment would help promote the mental well-being of black youths. The housing and economic policies should also be reformed to end housing discrimination and economic inequalities for black communities (Alvarez, 2020). The policies should encourage the construction of affordable housing and create equal economic opportunities, thus improving mental wellness through stable homes and financial security.
The other approach that promotes equitable policy implementation is pushing an increase in funding of mental health services, research on trauma for black youths, and community programs. The funding priorities help ensure access to and availability of resources for healing trauma. A well-equipped health facility should provide competent therapy, trauma-informed care, and support groups for black youths. Research on trauma in black communities should be funded to ensure it is extensive for accurate information on policy and practice (Alvarez, 2020). Evidence-based research will help develop the best approaches for dealing with trauma. Professionals such as educators, law enforcement officers, and medical practitioners should be adequately trained and equipped with knowledge that will allow the creation of a supportive environment for black youths with trauma.
Case Studies on Trauma Intervention Strategies
Several case studies have been developed to determine the most effective methods for addressing trauma in Black youths. One of the case studies by the National Library of Medicine seeks to assess the reduction of stigma as an intervention for reducing mental illness among African Americans in the United States (Rivera et al., 2021). According to the research, the efforts to reduce stigma should be culturally informed and tailored for their effectiveness.
Outcomes
The research has utilized quantitative and qualitative research articles before drawing the outcomes. Various interventions have been developed, such as psychoeducation, group teaching sessions, person contact interventions, and long-term participatory involvements. Mental illness resulting from stigma, especially due to the system disparities in mental health facilities, has created a barrier to seeking help in the black community (Rivera et al., 2021). Also, the existing interventions for reducing mental illness stigma are found to be ineffective. Thus, there is a need to develop policies and strategies that will adequately address the problem. The case study has also recognized the importance of collaborating with key stakeholders such as schools, community organizations, and faith-based organizations to spread the need to adopt stigma reduction interventions.
The National Library of Medicine researched another case study on how community violence has affected the mental health of black youth. The research purposed to study how environmental factors such as family and school influence the mental wellness of the youth and enable them to develop coping strategies towards trauma.
Outcomes
The research identified parent relationships, community violence, and school climate to have a significant influence on black youth mental wellness. The poor economic status of the families of black youth has a negative relationship with their grades and behaviour (Boyd et al., 2022). Children who have experienced community violence have bad academic outcomes due to their engagement in law-breaking behaviours that are associated with trauma and mental health issues. The article has emphasized the importance of having school personnel trained on black youth trauma and community violence to help implement protective mechanisms that support the youths to be resilient.
Future Recommendations
Current research contains gaps, creating research needs to guide future investigations. The gaps can be explained by how the intersectionality of identities of the black youth, such as sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and gender, have been overlooked. Research should cover the identities for a better intervention in resolving trauma. The long-term effects should also be looked at as black youth affected by trauma have been reported to express low academic performance, poor social relationships, and deteriorating mental wellness (Abdul-Adil & Suárez, 2022). The root cause for the trauma should be critically analyzed for a better understanding and informing the intervention development process. Research should also provide the effectiveness of the existing interventions, especially those that are culturally competent, and identify gaps for improvement. Additionally, research should determine the effectiveness of community-based interventions and utilize their strengths in increasing resilience within black communities.
More innovative approaches should be adopted and implemented effectively to address trauma in black youth. Some of the strategies are;
- Ensuring the education institutions are trauma-informed to create a supportive environment for the black youths. This kind of intervention is meant to improve the youths’ academic performance through training educators and implementing the approach throughout the institutions.
- Implementing support programs such as peer groups allows black youth to interact, engage, and encourage each other (Abdul-Adil & Suárez, 2022). The programs promote the healing process by hearing perspectives from different victims who have survived the same traumas.
- Developing therapeutic practices such as arts, music, theatre, and dance for the black youths to engage in and see their productions. These kinds of activities allow the youths to express their feelings and thus promote their healing.
Therefore, recognizing the impact of trauma in affecting the living standards mentally, emotionally, physically, and socially helps develop holistic strategies. Such strategies incorporate therapy, recreation, and mentorship to ensure a successful recovery.
Conclusion
In conclusion, trauma is a problem that has immensely affected the well-being of the black youths in the American population. The matter is urgently needed, as mental well-being is paramount for positive child development. The issue, therefore, calls for a holistic approach that will need the input of the government, community, and families.
References
Abdul-Adil, J., & Suárez, L. M. (2022). The urban youth trauma center: A trauma-informed continuum for addressing community violence among youth. Community Mental Health Journal, 1-9.
Alvarez, A. (2020). Seeing race in youth trauma and education research: A critical review. Review of Educational Research, 90(5), 583–626.
Boyd, D. T., Jones, K. V., Quinn, C. R., Gale, A., Williams, E. D. G., & Lateef, H. (2022). The mental health of black youth affected by community violence: Family and school context as pathways to resilience. Children, 9(2), 259.
Burkett, C. A. (2017). Obstructed use: Reconceptualizing the mental health (help-seeking) experiences of Black Americans. Journal of Black Psychology, 43(8), 813-835.
Cory, M., Chen, A., DuBois, D., Carter, J. S., & Grant, K. (2020). Overcoming exposure to complex stressors: Examining protective coping mechanisms for low-income urban African American youth. Children and Youth Services Review, 112, 104867.
Galán, C. A., Auguste, E. E., Smith, N. A., & Meza, J. I. (2022). An intersectional‐contextual approach to racial trauma exposure risk and coping among black youth. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 32(2), 583-595.
Henderson, D. X., Walker, L., Barnes, R. R., Lunsford, A., Edwards, C., & Clark, C. (2019). A framework for race‐related trauma in the public education system and implications on health for black youth. Journal of School Health, 89(11), 926–933.
Pumariega, A. J., Jo, Y., Beck, B., & Rahmani, M. (2022). Trauma and US minority children and youth. Current Psychiatry Reports, 24(4), 285–295.
Rivera, K. J., Zhang, J. Y., Mohr, D. C., Wescott, A. B., & Pederson, A. B. (2021). A narrative review of mental illness stigma reduction interventions among African Americans in the United States. Journal of mental health & clinical psychology. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8496896/
Smith, E. P., Yzaguirre, M. M., Dwanyen, L., & Wieling, E. (2022). Culturally relevant parenting approaches among African American and Latinx children and families: Toward resilient, strengths-based, trauma-informed practices. Adversity and Resilience Science, 3(3), 209–224.
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