Racism as a stressor for African Americans: A biopsychosocial model.

TLDR

Racism—both inter- and intra-group—acts as a significant stressor for African Americans and is implicated in their elevated morbidity and mortality, yet research on its psychological, social, and physiological impacts remains limited. The article proposes a biopsychosocial model of perceived racism to guide future research. The authors first review how racism has been defined in the literature, then examine evidence for inter- and intra-group racism, and finally present a contextual model for systematic studies of its biopsychosocial effects.

Abstract

Various authors have noted that interethnic group and intraethnic group racism are significant stressors for many African Americans. As such, intergroup and intragroup racism may play a role in the high rates of morbidity and mortality in this population. Yet, although scientific examinations of the effects of stress have proliferated, few researchers have explored the psychological, social, and physiological effects of perceived racism among African Americans. The purpose of this article was to outline a biopsychosocial model for perceived racism as a guide for future research. The first section of this article provides a brief overview of how racism has been conceptualized in the scientific literature. The second section reviews research exploring the existence of intergroup and intragroup racism. A contextual model for systematic studies of the biopsychosocial effects of perceived racism is then presented, along with recommendations for future research.