Racism and Anti-Racism in Psychiatry: Addressing Mental Health Disparities
About The Guest(s):
Dr. Jessica Isom is a Community Psychiatrist, Public Speaker, Medical Educator, and Consultant for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism Projects. She has over 10 years of experience in building relationships with patients and colleagues from all walks of life. Dr. Isom is committed to eradicating racial and ethnic mental health disparities and mitigating the impact of implicit racial bias on clinical care. She is also dedicated to using a community-focused population health approach in psychiatric practice.
Summary:
Dr. Jessica Isom joins the Health Equity Podcast to discuss racism and anti-racism in psychiatry, particularly in Black communities. She highlights the historical context of racism in psychiatry and the impact it has had on mental health care for Black individuals. Dr. Isom emphasizes the need for a developmental understanding of the field and the importance of incorporating equity and anti-oppression practices. She shares her personal journey in the field and the challenges she has faced as a Black psychiatrist. Dr. Isom also discusses the significance of culturally relevant care and the need for representation of Black mental health practitioners. She explores the intersectionality of race and mental health and the role of advocacy and activism in transforming the psychiatric profession.
Key Takeaways:
Psychiatry needs a developmental understanding of itself to address racism and improve mental health care in Black communities.
Culturally relevant care involves creating a collaborative and empowering therapeutic relationship with patients.
Black immigrant communities may have unique considerations and hesitancies when seeking mental health care.
Advocacy and activism efforts are essential in reducing resistance to equity-focused interventions in psychiatry.
Research and implementation science are crucial for developing effective strategies for workforce development and improving mental health care outcomes.
Quotes:
"We have to formulate what the problem is and develop interventions based on research to address it." - Dr. Jessica Isom
"Culturally relevant care involves creating a collaborative and empowering therapeutic relationship with patients." - Dr. Jessica Isom
"Advocacy and activism efforts are essential in reducing resistance to equity-focused interventions in psychiatry." - Dr. Jessica Isom
"Research and implementation science are crucial for developing effective strategies for workforce development and improving mental health care outcomes." - Dr. Jessica Isom
Key Episode Moments
0:02:10 — Eugenics as a framework in supporting racialized understandings of mental health
0:04:15 — Racial Inequities in mental health access to care and quality of care
0:13:03 — Dr.Isom’s use of social determinants of health and health equity in framing her approach within field of psychiatry
0:18:09 — Black psychiatrists’ resistance to the American Psychiatry Association
0:24:11 — Navigating anti-racism within and outside of organizations
0:27:11 —Culturally relevant approaches in Dr. Isom’s work as a community psychiatrist
0:35:55 — Approaches to working with Black immigrants within community mental health centers
0:44:02 — Doing transformative work without constraints and what that looks like
0:49:55 — Future development of psychiatry and advocacy within psychiatry
