uOttawa study finds link between discrimination and depression in Black students

A stock photo of an empty classroom. (Pixabay/Pexels)

A new study by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa) found that there is a link between racism and depression inside schools and educational systems for Black students.

The study is titled Racism in Education among Black Youth in Canada and its Association with Depression, Anxiety, Stress, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. It finds that over 40 percent of Black students in Canada have experienced discrimination, a “climate of racism festers within schools and universities,” and “there is an absence of adequate intervention by teachers and school workers to stop racial discrimination,” uOttawa says in a release on its website.

Professor Jude Mary Cénat, a national leader in research on the mental health of Canada’s Black communities and leader of uOttawa’s study, says the research found that discrimination not only affected the well-being of those students, but also impacted their growth, limiting their potential to succeed.

Cénat suggests systematic reforms of educational institutions.

“Even though resources are available, most students see these as being impacted by racial discrimination. We can’t just ask Black youths to be strong, we must change the systems they rely on,” said Cénat.

“These systematic reforms should include culturally appropriate policies, anti-racist interventions, and further training for educators. This study represents an invitation to take collective action to ensure that schools become truly inclusive and safe.”

The five-year study was done through interviews with Black students in seven provinces, including Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, British Columbia and Manitoba.

Its findings were published in Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology.