Welcome to the EPA 2022 Interactive Programme 

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There is a growing evidence that social determinants of health influence the health outcomes. These non-medical factors, i.e., social determinants of health / mental health, are defined as the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age, including the factors shaping these conditions. They either have direct effects on health and ill health or work as mediators.

In this respect, racial discrimination is a fundamental social determinant of ill health / mental health and health inequalities. A strong correlation between reported experiences of racial discrimination and poor general health and poor mental health has been reported. Besides, racial discrimination may lead to risk taking behaviors increasing poor health / mental health especially in vulnerable disadvantaged populations. A leading factor mediating the negative effects of any biopsychosocial factor on mental ill health is the degree of discrimination. Furthermore, racial discrimination is one of the processes explaining and reinforcing racial disparities in health and ill health.

From a conceptual point of view, racial discrimination and its effects on ill health could be discussed in the context of the issue of othering and related dehumanization and violence. Psychiatrists and mental health workers have accumulated considerable knowledge and experience on understanding and overcoming some of the consequences of racial discrimination, especially via anti-stigma studies. The unfair and avoidable influences of racial discrimination on mental health are neither fated nor inevitable. As Gramsci had said, we have the pessimism of the intellect and optimism of the will.

Abstract Body

Discrimination is a violation of human rights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights proclaims in Art. 1 the equality of all human beings without distinction as to race, colour, sex, sexual orientation, religion, age or health. International law assigns three main characteristics to discrimination: disadvantageous treatment, based on unlawful grounds, and lack of reasonable and objective justification. Thus, it must be based on an unlawful characteristic: Ethnicity, religion, national or social origin, language, physical appearance, descent, gender, sexual orientation, age or disability. A growing body of literature has recognized health disparities and has investigated the relationship between discrimination and poor health outcomes. Ethnic minority groups across the world face social and psychological challenges linked to their minority status, often involving discrimination. Furthermore, cumulative exposure to racial discrimination has incremental negative long-term effects on the mental health of ethnic minority people.Studies that examine exposure to discrimination only at one point in time may underestimate the contribution of racism to poor health. Lower patient-centered care was associated with higher perceptions of discrimination, despite experiences of continuous discrimination or discrimination experienced as different types. Further, dissatisfaction with care was associated with discrimination, particularly when experienced in various forms. These findings reinforce a need for patient-provider communication that is inclusive and eliminates perceptions of discrimination and bias, increases patient-centeredness, and improves overall clinical care. Additionally, these results stress the need for more research investigating the relationship between discrimination and outcomes in patients, as perceived discrimination manifests as a significant barrier to effective disease management.