The Washington Post (6/14, Ortega) reported, “Black adolescents’ experiences with racial discrimination may put them at higher risk of depression and anxiety, according to a study published [last] week in JAMA Network Open that sheds light on the long-term impact of racism.” For the study, researchers “pulled data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study, a nationwide project funded by the National Institutes of Health that collects data on children’s health and brain development.” In addition to reviewing surveys collected from these participants, researchers used fMRIs of their amygdalas “to better understand the role it plays in Black youths’ responses to threats such as racism.” They “found a correlation between youths whose amygdala shut down in response to negative stimuli and increased reporting of internalizing symptoms – including anxiety and depression.”
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