A new study shows that racism impacts the mental health of Black children in ways that are difficult to observe, and which can prevent them from getting help.
Assaf Oshri is a professor of human development and family science at the University of Georgia. He analyzed brain images of over 1500 African American children who reported experiences of racism as a part of a federally-funded study.
The images showed that in many participants, a region of the brain was deactivated—the amygdala. Dr. Oshri:
“The amygdala in general is crucial for emotional processing and responding to perception of environmental threat.”
The study went on to look at expressions of mental health issues.
“It’s helpful to break psychopathology into two types. Internalizing symptoms are symptoms associated with anxiety and depression. Whereas externalizing are associated with rule-breaking behaviors, aggression.”
Oshri found that when participants had deactivated amygdala, they were protected from developing externalized psychopathology—but they still experienced emotional harm.
“Black kids experience discrimination and they’re able to ‘behave’ and not show any problem behaviors, it doesn’t mean they don’t pay an emotional toll.”
He states that these children were more likely to develop internalized psychopathology, like anxiety and depression. And because mental health disorders can be difficult for teachers and parents to identify, these kids often go without help.
“So we know that quiet children will get less attention, and that includes help.”
However, Oshri wants policy makers and mental health experts to pay attention.
“Racism is there, children and youth are struggling with it. It’s not going to be manifested in such a direct and explicit way. It could be something that we need to probe.”
