Black History Month in Review

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This month, Psychiatric Times celebrated Black History Month with discussions on using cognitive behavioral therapy to empower Black patients and welcoming Wilsa M.S. Charles Malveaux, MD, MA, FAPA, as the sports psychiatry section editor.

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Wilsa M.S. Charles Malveaux, MD, MA, FAPA, Named Psychiatric Times Sports Psychiatry Editor

Psychiatric Times announced the addition of Wilsa M.S. Charles Malveaux, MD, MA, FAPA, as sports psychiatry section editor in the beginning of February. Malveaux answered a series of questions in order to get to know her approach to sports psychiatry.

Malveaux considers her career to be the road less traveled. “I’ve been doing the work before the work had a name. My thesis for my master’s when I was at Stanford University was a sports psychology study, and it was always calling to me.” She discussed her path to sports psychiatry, how her approach to treating athletes must differ from treating patients who are not athletes, and new research in sports psychiatry in a video interview. Watch here.

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On the Legacy and Future of Mental Health in Black Communities

Altha Stewart, MD, is the President of the American Association for Community Psychiatry and the Director of the Center for Youth Advocacy and Well-Being at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. She spoke with Psychiatric Times in February to discuss the historical challenges Black individuals have faced in psychiatry and how she thinks psychiatry can better acknowledge the impacts of systemic racism when treating patients.

“There is a long history in American psychiatry of disparate treatment for patients who are Black from others in the mental health system,” Stewart said. She said this difference in treatment is older than the American Psychiatric Association (APA), starting with the formation of the Committee on the Colored Insane by state hospital superintendents. This committee was formed to ensure that segregation practices continued as the field moved toward a more humane practice.

Stewart said there is a historical mistrust in the Black community towards the health care system in the US. “Specifically related to mental health, there are concerns about experimentation and the use of medication to manage aggressive behavior which may or may not reflect psychiatric illness,” Stewart said. She discussed progress being made in psychiatry, the role representation plays in improving mental health outcomes, and more in a video interview. Watch here.

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Using CBT to Empower Black Patients

In a Clinical Conversation, Judith S. Beck, PhD, and Janeé M. Steele, PhD, discussed the use of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with Black American patients and its effectiveness, particularly for those who have been exposed to racism. Steele said that while there is growing research showing the effectiveness of CBT for racially diverse populations, there are some limitations in application for people of color. “One limitation of traditional CBT when working with Black patients who have experienced racism may be inadequate attention to oppressive systems and other societal influences that contribute to the patient’s problems,” Steele said, clarifying that without paying attention to the other societal influences, this may make the patient feel blamed for their problems and lead to negative outcomes.

Steele said a manifestation she frequently encounters during therapy is internalized racism, which from a CBT perspective equates to hurtful and stigmatizing core beliefs where individuals devalue themselves or other members of their race. “These core beliefs often result in maladaptive rules for living and are frequently associated with avoidance or numbing coping strategies to compensate for the perceived deficits reflected in each core belief,” Steele said.

Steele answers questions from Beck regarding a clinicians approach to discussing racial issues in session, considerations for developing strong therapeutic relationship with Black patients, and more in a Q&A. Read more here.

Alvin F. Poussaint

In Memoriam: Alvin F. Poussaint, MD, A Model of Black Mental Health
For his last February column, Steven H. Moffic, MD, memorialized Alvin F. Poussaint, MD, whose work included finding various ways to address racism, both systemically and individually. Poussaint, Moffic wrote, was a force for liberty of the oppressed. Poussaint was the son of Haitian immigrants and lived to be aged 90. He spent the majority of his career at Harvard Medical School before he retired in 2019. He received the APA’s Distinguished Service Award that same year. Moffic discusses more of Poussaint’s historic work and shares his thoughts on the death of such a leader in a time where diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives are in a tailspin. Read more.