Racism literally ages Black Americans faster, according to our 25-year study

[Judi Lynn]

Sierra Carter
Stress due to racism can wear and tear on the body – literally ‘getting under the skin’ to affect African Americans’ health

Mon 7 Dec 2020 06.15 EST

I’m part of a research team that has been following more than 800 Black American families for almost 25 years. We found that people who had reported experiencing high levels of racial discrimination when they were young teenagers had significantly higher levels of depression in their 20s than those who hadn’t. This elevated depression, in turn, showed up in their blood samples, which revealed accelerated ageing on a cellular level.

Our research is not the first to show Black Americans live sicker lives and die younger than other racial or ethnic groups. The experience of constant and accumulating stress due to racism throughout an individual’s lifetime can wear and tear down the body – literally “getting under the skin” to affect health.

These findings highlight how stress from racism, particularly experienced early in life, can affect the mental and physical health disparities seen among Black Americans.

As news stories of Black American women, men and children being killed due to racial injustice persist, our research on the effects of racism continues to have significant implications.

More:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/dec/07/racism-ages-black-americans-faster

[TreasonousBastard]

1. Yes. No brainer that stress ages you, and...

there is little relief from the stress of racism