Psych. Prof: End of Trump Era Lifts Cloud Hanging Over Country
By: Manny Otiko
Tags: Politics, Elections, Mental Health, Equality, Race

Dr. Gabe Crenshaw is a professor of clinical psychology at the University of Southern California. He’s also a frequent guest on television, such as the Oprah Winfrey Network, “The Doctors” and “Extra,” where he talks about the importance of mental health, especially for People of Color. I spoke to him about Black people and counseling, the effects of the Trump years on the nation’s psyche and other issues.

Otiko: Black people have been reluctant to seek mental health treatment. In some ways, they’ve lagged behind the white community. In a recent interview, comedian/actor Chris Rock said he’d only started attending counseling to address some of his childhood trauma. Has that changed, or is there still a stigma?

Crenshaw: It’s changing, but the stigma is still there. It’s two-fold. For years, the mental health profession pathologized Black people and other people of color. I think this is where the fear to seek help began. Then we took it from there — afraid of being called “crazy,” many suffered in silence or in church, while attempting to “give it over to God!” Research shows that people of color often respond better to therapy when the mental health professional looks like them.

Otiko: One of the problems around Black people seeking mental health treatment is not believing white counselors can relate to their culture. Is that still a problem? And is training more Black and brown mental health counselors still important?

Crenshaw: Absolutely. It’s called a culturally encapsulated therapist. This occurs when therapists make narrow assumptions about the reality of people of color then minimize those cultural variations, with a total disregard for evidence disconfirming the superiority of the dominant culture (read white.) Perhaps, what is most harmful is these therapists, typically white, judge all African-Americans who come for help with their self-referenced incorrect perspectives., and use therapeutic strategies and short-term solutions that are not sensitive to the conditions of Black people. So, it doesn’t matter who walks into their office. They react to everyone with the same broad stroke. It offends Black and brown people when they feel their culture is being ignored. You can misdiagnose people if you don’t get the right training.

It (the Trump administration) seemed to have conjured up a pre-Civil Rights era. It made you think of the pre-cursor to Brown Vs. Board of Education, for example …The Make America Great Again campaign was dog-whistle politics. Black people understood the veiled message, as did conscious white folks, as well as the racists.

Otiko: What kind of effect did you think President Donald Trump had on the nation’s mental health?

Crenshaw: It split the nation’s psyche and mental health. People on the side of Trump see him as a no-nonsense authentic, maverick inside the political game. People on the other side of the aisle see disturbing characteristics in him and cause for alarm. Characteristics like anger, impulsivity, a lack of proper decision making, pathological lying, etc. are disturbing red flags about someone’s mental stability.

Otiko: As a mental health professional, did you see a different set of issues during the Trump administration?

Crenshaw: I don’t know that a different set of issues surfaced. I think more to the point is we’ve seen a spike in pre-existing issues such as depression, anxiety, anger, lack of empathy, even hopelessness and despair. This current/exiting administration ushered in a heightened level of psychological discomfort and collective anxiety. It (the Trump administration) seemed to have conjured up a pre-Civil Rights era. It made you think of the pre-cursor to Brown Vs. Board of Education, for example. That’s what it felt like to me, anyway! The Make America Great Again campaign was dog-whistle politics. Black people understood the veiled message, as did conscious white folks, as well as the racists. Everybody knew exactly what that sound-off phrase really meant. Naturally, it created a level of anxiety due to the seemingly green light given for racists to shine. And this creates depression — which of course is anger turned inward, in some cases. I have many white and Jewish patients who also have reported feeling just as fearful and unsure. I feel like we as a country have been embattled and rendered emotionally and psychologically paralyzed during the Trump administration.

Otiko: Do you think Trump had mental health problems? As a trained observer, what kind of issues did you see?

Crenshaw: I have never treated him, but in my professional opinion, he exhibits traits of mental illness. I’ve had colleagues write papers and I’ve read their work and they say unequivocally, Donald Trump presents with some symptoms for mental disorders. For example, he exhibits traits consistent with that of a narcissistic personality disorder and he has certain features of sociopathy, what some might call antisocial personality disorder. I think he should be seen by a mental health professional. There are concerns, and I mean major concerns, and they’ve played out for the last four years. What we’re seeing/suspecting has seemingly gotten worse under pressure. As I stated earlier, the inability to control himself, inappropriate decision-making practices, poor insight, lack of self-control, emotional and sensory disturbances paranoia, etc., these are all features of a disturbed prefrontal cortex and over-active Amygdala (the brain’s emotions processing center). I wonder if any of this rings true for him or if those close to him find any of this to be true?

Otiko: Do you think the end of the Trump administration will affect mental health issues?

Crenshaw: I do. I think the collective mood of our country will improve on both sides of the aisle. There is a heavy cloud of anxiety over our nation — for many it’s a cloud of despair, exasperation, desperation, depression, the list is long. But, just the idea of having something, new can bring hope. Hope can lift the depression. It’s like a clean slate almost. And It’s not just here in America, it’s throughout the world. Arguably, our international reputation was marred by the Trump administration. In other words, our individual country “hell” became our global “collective” hell. I tell ya, hell has many mansions, too!

For more information, go to www.askdrgabe.com.