Measuring the Effects of Racism – Guidelines for the Assessment and Treatment of Race–Based Traumatic Stress Injury

A large body of research has established a causal relationship between experiences of racial discrimination and adverse effects on mental and physical health. In Measuring the Effects of Racism, Robert T. Carter and Alex L. Pieterse offer a manual for mental health professionals on how to understand, assess, and treat the effects of racism as a psychological injury.

Carter and Pieterse provide guidance on how to recognize the psychological effects of racism and racial discrimination. They propose an approach to understanding racism that connects particular experiences and incidents with a person’s individual psychological and emotional response. They detail how to evaluate the specific effects of race-based encounters that produce psychological distress and possibly impairment or trauma. Carter and Pieterse outline therapeutic interventions for use with individuals and groups who have experienced racial trauma, and they draw attention to the importance of racial awareness for practitioners. The book features a racial-trauma assessment toolkit, including a race-based traumatic-stress symptoms scale and interview schedule. Useful for both scholars and practitioners, including social workers, educators, and counselors, Measuring the Effects of Racism offers a new framework of race-based traumatic stress that helps legitimize psychological reactions to experiences of racism.

Robert T. Carter is professor emeritus of psychology and education at Teachers College, Columbia University. His books include Confronting Racism: Integrating Mental Health Research Into Legal Strategies and Reforms (2019).

Alex L. Pieterse is associate professor and director of doctoral training in the program of counseling psychology at the State University of New York at Albany. He also serves as a racial diversity consultant and practices as a licensed psychologist.