Family Mental Health And Systemic Racism: The Impact Racial Discrimination Can Have On Mental Health Outcomes

Families can be impacted by various challenges in life. However, some families may face unique challenges due to marginalization and identity. Systemic racism can have far-reaching impacts on individuals and the families they live in and love. Understanding these impacts can be a step toward advocacy and change, as well as finding support for racial discrimination and mental health challenges. 

What is systemic racism? 

Systemic racism, also known as institutional racism or structural racism, is a form of racism that is “pervasively and deeply embedded in systems, laws, written or unwritten policies, and entrenched practices and beliefs that produce, condone, and perpetuate widespread unfair treatment and oppression of people of color, with adverse health consequences.” Systemic racism differs from the racism that may be expressed in negative comments and attitudes from individuals. This form is embedded in societal functioning in ways that people who are unaffected may not notice or be aware of.

Systemic racism can have significant adverse impacts on Black people, Indigenous people, and people of color (often referred to using the acronym BIPOC). These impacts can extend to mental and physical healthcare. Persistent mental health disparities impacting BIPOC communities, including lack of access to mental health treatment, can have a detrimental effect not just on the mental health of individuals but also on family units. 

Racism and mental health: How racial discrimination can lead to family mental health challenges

Internalized racism in children 

Children who frequently experience racism from their peers and other adult figures in their lives can develop internalized racism, defined as “a form of racism that leads people to internalize beliefs and stereotypes about their racial or ethnic group or themselves because of their racial and ethnic group membership.” Children who display signs of internalized racism may have a lower sense of self-worth and belonging, both of which can contribute to the development of mental health conditions later in life.

Structural challenges 

Systemic racism can contribute to areas of family functioning that are not directly related to health but can still have an impact on health accessibility and mental wellness. One such example is societal factors like discriminatory hiring practices and diminished access to education for BIPOC communities, which can lead to higher rates of poverty among these groups. Poverty impacts health equity because lower-income neighborhoods and communities often have fewer dedicated health clinics and other services, and people with lower socioeconomic status may not have health insurance or other means of paying for their health care. 

Poverty 

Higher poverty levels can also affect a family’s mental health more indirectly. Financial stress can contribute to limited resources and increased anxiety within the family unit. Poverty is correlated with higher levels of substance use and other maladaptive coping mechanisms, along with domestic violence, all of which can have a substantial impact on marital relationships and parent-child relationships.  

Specific family challenges 

Although systemic racism is structural and “big picture,” this form of oppression can also have direct impacts on particular populations and individuals. Below are examples of specific ways systemic racism can impact family mental health.

Incarceration 

Black and Latinx adults are more likely to be incarcerated than White adults, and children of incarcerated parents are more likely to develop PTSD, depression, and anxiety. In addition, BIPOC youth are more likely to become involved in the juvenile justice system and experience more abuse and solitary confinement within that system. Incarceration at a young age can significantly impact a person’s socio-emotional development.

Historical trauma 

Historical trauma and cultural loss for Indigenous people in the United States may lead to tension between older and younger members of tribal communities, with younger members experiencing a sense of shame and blame for not being more closely connected with their culture. 

Substance use 

Direct personal experiences with racism have been linked to greater youth substance use among BIPOC people. Substance use can lead to significant mental health challenges, such as depression. 

School challenges 

BIPOC children are more likely to be disciplined in school settings. Children may internalize the labels teachers give them (“aggressive,” “a problem,” etc.), which can lead to an increased likelihood of mental health concerns in childhood and later in life, including the development of learning disabilities.

BIPOC children may be more likely to be labeled by their teachers and classmates as having “mental health issues.” However, when it comes to actual mental health diagnoses, children from these communities receive diagnoses less often and often later in a disorder’s progression than white children.

Loss of a parent 

Elements of systemic racism can lead to the loss of a parent or provider through incarceration, deportation, police brutality, and other situations, which can lead both to more BIPOC children in the foster care system and more BIPOC children being pushed to take on adult responsibilities like caring for their siblings or finding a job.

A loss of safety for children 

If children witness their parents experiencing racism or racial condescension, it can “make them question their safety in the society of other adults who treat their parents in a poor manner,” according to Dr. Tania Maria Caballero, a professor of pediatric medicine at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, as interviewed by CNN.

Children who vicariously experience racial violence, either by watching it occur to someone close to them or witnessing it as part of their day-to-day life, may develop anxiety about such violence also happening to them. This anxiety could lead to difficulty building trust with others, difficulty concentrating in school, and physical health concerns related to prolonged elevated levels of the stress and fear hormones cortisol and adrenaline

The impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

The lack of mental health parity between children and families of different racial backgrounds may be explained by the concept of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). In recent decades, mental health researchers and practitioners have begun to more fully understand the impact that specific traumatic events during childhood may have on a number of outcomes later in life, including those related to mental health and well-being. 

Adverse Childhood Experiences include:

• Being physically, emotionally, or sexually abused by an adult, especially a caregiver
• Experiencing neglect
• Having a caregiver with a substance use disorder or other mental health condition
• Being raised in a household where domestic violence is present
• Not having one’s basic needs (food, clothing, or shelter) met
• Losing a parent to death, divorce, abandonment, deportation, incarceration, or another reason

Poverty can increase the likelihood of some ACEs, particularly difficulty meeting a child’s basic needs. Systemic racism can directly result in the incarceration or deportation of a parental figure, leading to a traumatic loss in early life. The heightened likelihood of experiencing ACEs can put pressure on a family unit and impact overall family mental health. 

Navigate the impacts of systemic racism with professional support

Match with a licensed therapist

Support options 

The impact systemic racism may have on family mental health can be complex, and multiple members of a family may require support. When juggling the multiple needs of different family members, barriers to in-person therapy can arise, such as time constraints or financial challenges. 

With online therapy through an accredited platform like BetterHelp, individuals can attend therapy sessions from anywhere with an internet connection. These sessions may also be more cost-effective and allow individuals to select a session time that fits their schedule, including outside of standard business hours. 

Research has found that online therapy can be as effective as traditional in-person therapy. One study found that a group of participants who completed online therapy for major depressive disorder, a mental health condition that can be associated with experiences of systemic racism, had comparable outcomes to in-person therapeutic treatment and spent significantly less money.