Current Research

Thank you for your interest in our research. The current research focus of our lab is understanding what variables influence the relation between discrimination and mental health and how individuals cope with racism. A recent line of research examining the efficacy of a group-based intervention targeting internalized racial oppression.

Dr. Banks currently has a paper under review outlining the process of psychological liberation and its role in treating racial trauma.

Our lab welcomes any questions you have and look forward to hearing from you.

Luis Llerena www.negativespace.co

by Luis Llerena

This page contains all of the current research projects that are in progress. Those who are interested in participating in any one of the research studies, follow links in the “Get Involved” page.

  • An Evaluation of Witnessing Whiteness
    • A program evaluation of a 10-week course where White people meet to learn about and discuss the history of racism in America, institutional racism, and other race-related topics.
  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Intervention for Black Women
    • A 6-week series that teaches strategies to and supports Black women coping with racism and how it has shaped how they think about themselves in a group setting.
  • Cognitive Defusion Intervention for Black People
    •  A 3-week series that teaches strategies to Black people to separate themselves from racist messages they have appropriated.
  • Race-Based Traumatic Stress Survey

    • Race-Based traumatic Stress Theory posits that individuals experience emotional and psychological stress reactions in response to racial discrimination that may be congruent with diagnostic stress disorders. In this theory, an individual experiences a race-related event appraises it negative, sudden, and uncontrollable. Then, they engage in reactions that can be categorized as avoidance, intrusion, or arousal. These reactions may manifest in varying clusters of symptoms such as hypervigilance, memory loss, inability to concentrate, depression, guilt, avoidance, shame, lower self-esteem, and more.

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