Racism-based and Biomarkers of Stress
Condition: Racism; Stress, Psychological
MeSH terms: Stress, Psychological
Study type: Observational

Summary: 
      This feasibility study aims to explore how racism-induced stress impacts the brain and body
      and how a culturally responsive intervention can reduce the mental and physical effects of
      this stress among African Americans (AA). We aim to acquire methodological and protocol
      insights for a subsequent study by assessing 1) the feasibility of recruiting AA for a
      race-related study and collecting psychological and biomarkers of stress, 2) determining the
      association between racism-based stress surveys and biomarkers of stress, and 3) explore
      participants feedback on the impact of racism in their life and their willingness to
      participate in a 12-week mindfulness intervention with additional assessments, such as
      functional MRI testing.
    

Detailed description: 
      Racism is a chronic stressor affecting minority groups, particularly Black, Indigenous, and
      People of Color (BIPOC), which increases their vulnerability to disease and adverse outcomes.
      Several studies have associated racism with psychosocial distress, elevated inflammation, and
      accumulation of toxic radicals in the body, leading to diabetes and heart disease. Moreover,
      studies investigating biological structural changes suggest that racism is associated with
      alterations in activation and connectivity of brain regions controlling emotional behavior.
      Race-based encounters can lead to high levels of stress that can cause a traumatic reaction
      raising chronic vigilance by creating anticipatory distress and concerns, which could drive
      the output of allostatic mediators. Allostatic load represents the cumulative physiological
      burden exacted on the body throughout a lifetime in the effort to adapt to stressors.
      Therefore, in addition to broader structural and institutional changes, there is a critical
      need for interventions to mitigate race-related injury and promote enhanced physical and
      mental health.

      Contemplative-Based Resilience Training (CBRT) is a potential non-invasive intervention that
      may moderate the effects of racism on health outcomes. CBRT is a contemplative self-healing
      program that integrates mindfulness with cognitive education, affect modulation, motivational
      imagery, breath control, and self-massage. Research demonstrates that compassion-based
      meditative therapies support the development of pro-social attributes and social connections.
      Individuals with higher mindfulness traits are thought to have a greater ability to regulate
      their emotions and are less emotionally reactive. In addition, mindfulness interventions can
      also lead to the development of individual resilience and by focusing on the present moment,
      negative feelings are less likely to persist leading to psychological well-being and
      consequently physiological health. Mindfulness-based interventions are efficacious in
      reducing anxiety, depression, substance abuse, eating disorders, and chronic pain and
      improving general well-being and quality of life. Although there is some evidence of the
      buffering effect of mindfulness on psychological outcomes from discrimination, few studies
      have focused on race-based stress and are limited to examining psychological outcomes.

      This feasibility study aims to acquire methodological and protocol insights and build the
      infrastructure for a subsequent CBRT interventional study to reduce the effects of race-based
      trauma and stress. The study will be a mixed-methods study with an embedded qualitative
      study. First, we will determine if it is feasible to recruit a sample of 20 African
      American/Black participants to measure behavioral and physiological measures of race-based
      stress. Second, we will validate and further test additional physiological variables of
      racism as a stressor on allostatic load, gene expression, and telomere length. Third, we will
      conduct interviews to obtain participants' perspectives and feedback on a planned 12-week
      mindfulness intervention study to reduce the effects of race-based stress among African
      Americans, as well as to assess their willingness to undergo additional assessments, such as
      functional MRI scans. The deliverables of this study are to build a community-based research
      infrastructure, to determine with greater clarity some of the relationships between
      physiological variables and racism-induced stress, and how to adapt an existing CBRT
      intervention to address the experience of race-based stress in a more culturally responsive
      manner.
    

Observational model: Case-Only
Time perspective: Cross-Sectional
Sampling method: Non-Probability Sample
Study population: 
        Self-identifying African Americans/Black 18-50 years of age
      
Biospecimen description: 
      Blood samples for a complete blood count, gene expression analysis, and telomere length
      testing