Date of Award

Spring 2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Department

Psychology

Committee Chairperson

Michael Gawrysiak, PhD

Committee Member

Michael Roche, PhD

Committee Member

Ebony White, PhD

Abstract

Trauma research in psychology has traditionally been shaped by a White-centric framework, leading to the underrepresentation of racial and ethnic minority experiences. This study aims to establish racial discrimination as a distinct traumatic stressor with significant psychological consequences by exploring the distinction between racial and conventionally recognized traumatic stressors and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). It also aims to address inconsistent and exclusionary assessment methodology involving underrepresented racial minority (URM) populations, including the neglect of racial trauma and discrimination measures in trauma research. Participants consisted of URMs who sought enrollment in a clinical trial for opioid use disorder at a community substance use treatment facility. A cross-sectional method was utilized, employing hierarchical linear regression and moderated mediation analyses to identify the individual impact of racial and conventional traumatic stressors on PTSS and racial trauma symptoms. Findings indicated that racial discrimination significantly contributed to PTSS, accounting for variance comparable to conventional trauma stressors. Additionally, racial discrimination was found to be a stronger predictor of racial trauma symptoms than conventional trauma. The findings highlight the necessity of formally recognizing racial discrimination as a distinct traumatic stressor with implications for clinical assessment, intervention strategies, and policies aimed at reducing mental health disparities among URMs.

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