also with regard to PTSD in minority civilians. Moreover, the link between racism, poor health, and high mortality has been well documented by several studies (Albert et al., 2010; Barnes et al., 2008; Cohen & Northridge, 2008; Muennig & Murphy, 2011). However, hardly any studies have looked at the role racism plays with regard to combat-related PTSD in African Americans.
Accordingly, this paper will approach this question by reviewing previous research and discussing the impact of racism on PTSD in African American servicemen and servicewomen with regard to US military involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq. The first part of this paper will discuss the impact of racism on physical and mental health and investigate in how far racism is present within the US armed forces. The second part of this paper will examine why African Americans are less likely to seek help for PTSD and why they have poorer completion rates of treatment (Lester, Artz, Resick, & Young-Xu, 2010). The final section will summarize the findings and give recommendations for future research and public health policies.
Race-Based Traumatic Stress - Racism and Health
The causes of PTSD are varied. PTSD is not just found in veterans who had traumatic experiences during active duty but also in the civilian population. A study by Flores and colleagues (2010) reports that perceived racism among Mexican youths did not just correlate with high risk behaviors such as drug and alcohol use and multiple sexual partners but also with life-time prevalence of PTSD. Moreover, the more an individual perceived racial discrimination (such as racial slurs), the more PTSD symptoms he/she showed (Flores, et al., 2010). It is reasonable to assume that the same mechanisms apply to other minorities including African Americans. Significantly, Flores and colleagues (2010) identify racism itself as a source of traumatic stress. Racism can thus be described as a c
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