PUBLICATIONS

Experiences of Personal and Vicarious Victimization for Black Adults with Serious Mental Illnesses: Implications for Treating Socially Engineered Trauma

Melissa Edmondson Smith, Rohini Pahwa, Geoffrey Harrison, Wendy E. Shaia & Tanya L. Sharpe (2022) Experiences of Personal and Vicarious Victimization for Black Adults with Serious Mental Illnesses: Implications for Treating Socially-engineered Trauma, Smith College Studies in Social Work

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to explore experiences of violence and victimization among Black adults with serious mental illnesses (SMIs) in mental health services. Fourteen Black individuals with SMIs participated in semi-structured interviews exploring their experiences and definitions of community. Thematic analysis revealed that participants experienced personal and vicarious criminal/violent encounters, putting them at high risk for adverse mental health and quality of life outcomes. Utilizing the structurally engineered trauma perspective and an intersectionality-based framework, implications for social work practice for preventing and reducing violence and victimization with Black populations with SMIs are discussed.