Discrimination Against Women of Color, and how it Affects their Mental Health

Discrimination Against Women of Color, and how it Affects their Mental Health

Introduction

A cohort study was done to review discrimination of women of color and how it affects their mental health from five comparative epidemiological study sources. The extensive study focused on the several aspects of oppressive encounters such as racism, and sexual objectification. Similarly, self- esteem as a mediating remedy in these cases was fully explored, and ethnic identity strength was proposed to buffer the negative relationship between several forms of oppression. The positive correlation between oppressive encounters and trauma indicators were reviewed and the associations of sexist and racist discrimination with poor work outcomes, and mental health outcomes. Furthermore, workplace discrimination was indirectly attributed with poor work effects through the mediating tasks of perceived organizational support, and self-esteem.

Experiences of workplace sexist and racist discrimination among women of color distinctly referred to as stigmatization, harassment or micro aggressions are related with lacking mental health and work outcomes covering minority populations. Within the vocational literature, studies from the Theory of Work Adjustment (TWA) has associated workplace discrimination with poor work encounters, such as turnover intentions. Often reviewing only one task in isolation, vocational studies and research is required to further reflect the persistent outcomes within populations like women of color who may encounter sexist and racist discrimination. They are often attributed to have poor mental health outcomes, such as depression, general psychological distress, and anxiety.

In addition, Sexist and racial discrimination are related with indicators of poor work outcomes, for example job related burnout, turnover intentions and low job satisfaction (Sojo et al 2016). In studies that scrutinize several forms of discrimination, each form tends to be in conjunction with poor work or mental health results. In a case study, Buchanan and Fitzgerald in 2008 established that sexist and racist workplace discrimination both surprisingly were related to poor supervisor contentment and excessive job distress together with posttraumatic indicators in a sample of African American Women staff. Nevertheless, the environments in which women of color undergo sexism may likely rife with racism. Often these women find it hard to relate the discrimination they face to either sexism or racism since both occur concurrently.

Individuals living on low incomes are perceived to have high rates of mental health problems than the general population. Similarly, a woman with poor socioeconomic status is attributed with high levels of depression. Women, who are less fortunate in life and racial disparity status, however experience extreme outcomes. Women of color who are the middle class earners experience a bit less levels of depression compared to those who economically disadvantaged living on low incomes or even have no jobs. Despite high levels of risk and prevalence of mental health problems among less fortunate women, many of them do not seek health services or some who do, drop out when their distress grows (Greeno et al, 1999). Individuals with depression issues, which often seem traumatic, suffer from low energy and fatigue, reduced judgment ability and concentration. However, engagement strategies for women of color who are depressed and are economically less fortunate, and report forms of violence, often develop an interpersonal way of strong self- reliance. Sexual violence is another contributor women of color face that results to cases of mental health problems.

In the United States, sexual violence is among the prevalent common health problem affecting many people. Inappropriate outcomes of sexual violence have been put to record among women of color in contrast with other groups of women (Black et al., 2011). Women of color are subjected to high rates racial and ethnic disparities of violence and compound social economic, and health effects, which are well- established inequalities. Such inequalities have been related to pervasive racial variations in job incomes, level of education, and employment factors that primarily restricts access to basic resources, life opportunities, and safety for women of color. The relationship between sexual violence and the growth of cynical physical and mental fitness results have been recorded to be rampant among women of color. It is estimated that women who have encountered sexual violence tend to have great odds of anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder. This is in comparison with women who have no had such experiences. Besides, sexual assault casualties are likely at great risk of poor physical health and dreadful pain. Poor physical health relatively steer mental health symptoms, related issues such as no sleep, alcohol and substance abuse that may importantly result to persistent health issues and trauma.

Trauma refers to the subjection to an experience that intimidates an individual’s life. Insidious trauma is attributed by several lower level, harmful occurrences that happen within a person’s life (Brown, 2013). Insidious trauma is inherently identity- based and directed at those with marginalized personalities by people who possess power and privilege (Root, 1992, 2001). According to a study report by Allport, persistent indignities within a lifespan that cause fear, a core aspect of oneself, may have harmful effects on a person’s self-esteem, for example, how people judge and feel about themselves as individuals. Indeed, study has proven that events of perceived racism, sexist, and sexual objectification are relative to lower self- esteem. However, further studies show that self- esteem generally medicates the bond between oppressive events and variable forms of psychological distress among women of color in particular. However, very few studies have reviewed self-esteem as a remedy in the bond between oppressive and traumatic symptoms. In 2015, Kira and colleagues established that, after managing the consequences of direct trauma events, self- esteem slightly mediated the bond between gender discrimination and trauma indicators among women of color.

Adults with chronic mental disorder often benefit from periodic recovery oriented treatment to attain psychiatric fastness and a normal life. However, these people may not passionately participate in treatment and regularly cease from mental health services. The consequences of mental health stigma are negative and prevalent. Significant evidence shows that mental- health attributed by discrimination has harmful effects on help seeking behaviors and initial access to mental health care (Clement, Schauman et al, 2015). However, stigmas and discrimination are impounding negative aspects of treatment implementation. Limited research has been done on effects of passionate involvement in an ongoing mental health care. Self-stigma is a much distinct scenario, comprising internalized negative mental sickness stereotypes, with relative negative feelings such as worthlessness, demoralization, depression, and hopelessness. These findings indicate that the negative effects of stigma and discrimination act as barriers to mental health care implementation such as discrimination related with mental health care. When clients do not experience supplementary stigmatizing messages during care, and perhaps even encounter anti stigma messages, stigma’s impact on active treatment engagement may be attenuated.

Conclusion

To alleviate indigent physical and mental health events among women of color, Affordable and an easily accessible healthcare system, clinical interventions and police exercises needed to be incorporated to help sexual assaulted victims. Further from the review above, study shows that racism, sexism, and sexual objectification are relative to women of color’s symptoms of trauma, variable health disparities and illnesses. Research needs to be done to help reduce the stigmatization and discrimination of these women since they are a part of diversities.

References

Black, M. C., Basile, K. C., Breiding, M. J., Smith, S. G., Walters, M. L., Merrick, M. T., . . . Stevens, M. R. (2011). The national intimate partner and sexual violence survey (NISVS): 2010 summary report. Atlanta, GA: National center for injury prevention and control, centers for disease control and prevention.

Brown, L. S. (2013). Treating the effects of psychological trauma. In G .Koocher, J. C. Norcross, & B. Greene (Eds.), Psychologists’ desk reference (pp. 290–293). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/med:psych/9780199845491.003.0060

Clement, S., Schauman, O., Graham, T., Maggioni, F., Evans-Lacko, S., Bezborodovs, N., … Thornicroft, G. (2014). What is the impact of mental health-related stigma on help-seeking? A systematic review of quantitative and qualitative studies. Psychological Medicine, 45(1), 11-27. doi:10.1017/s0033291714000129

Greeno, C. G., Anderson, C. M., Shear, M. K., & Mike, G. (1999). Initial treatment engagement in a rural community mental health center. Psychiatric Services, 50(12), 1634-1636. doi:10.1176/ps.50.12.1634

Sojo, V. E., Wood, R. E., & Genat, A. E. (2016). Harmful workplace experiences and women’s occupational well-being: A meta-analysis.Psychology of Women Quarterly, 40, 10–40. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0361684315599346