Investigating Race-related Stress, Burnout, and Secondary Traumatic Stress for Black Mental Health Therapists

The present study examines the relationships among burnout, secondary traumatic stress (STS), and race-related stress among a national sample of 250 Black mental health therapists (counselors, social workers, psychologists, and marriage and family therapists). We investigated the predictive nature of the three subscales (Individual Racism, Cultural Racism, and Institutional Racism) of the Index of Race-Related Stress–Brief Version (IRRS-B) and selected demographic variables on therapists’ reports of burnout and STS assessed on the Professional Quality of Life Scale–Version 5 (ProQOL-5). All three forms of race-related stress significantly predicted both burnout and STS for Black mental health therapists. Of the demographic variables, hours worked per week significantly predicted burnout and STS. Additionally, highest degree obtained significantly predicted STS for Black mental health therapists. The utility of these findings in understanding the connections among race-related stress, burnout, and STS are discussed as well as directions for future research.

The role of discrimination and social defeat on black mental health

Black populations are diagnosed with schizophrenia at a rate that is significantly higher than white populations. This elevated diagnostic rate is often the result of misdiagnosis. This article includes a brief literature review and case presentation highlighting the importance of understanding complex racial trauma when evaluating and treating Black clients.

Dr. Obari Adeye Cartman: Healing, Youth Work, and Masculinity

Dr. Obari Adeye Cartman is an accomplished author, and he serves as the program director for Real Men Charities, Inc. This Chicago-based organization works with men, youth, and families to promote wellness through cultural programming. Dr. Cartman is also the President of the Chicago Association of Black Psychologists, associate editor of South Side Drive Magazine, and maintains a directory of Black mental health providers. Having been raised in a family that honored African traditions, his work marries theory and practice in very intentional and critical ways.