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Black Men's Health UMD

Exploring the Biological, Psychological and Sociological Factors Associated with Black Men’s Experiences of Trauma

bmh Black Men's Health UMD logo

The Black Men's Health UMD study explores the biological, psychological and sociological factors associated with black men’s experiences of trauma by drawing on complementary quantitative and qualitative methods for both basic and applied research. In order to explore trauma past, present, and future, the study will:

  1. Gather a more complete understanding of how black men give meaning to prior trauma and violence, particularly childhood experiences;
  2. Assess the ongoing stress and risk in toxic environments, including stressors like incarceration, family conflict, racialized violence of police and gang activity, and limited employment and educational opportunities; and
  3. Catalog the creation of strategies for healthy resilience to toxic environments.
Behavioral and Community Health
University of Maryland School of Public Health Family Science logo
University of Maryland 1856 Department of African American Studies logo

Get Involved

The Black Men's Health UMD study has several ways you can get involved. First, we are actively recruiting Black men who want to be part of the study. Second, we are creating collaborations with researchers and students interested in this project. Third, we are connecting with social workers, physicians, and community health practitioners that work with Black men. If any of these describe you, please consider connecting with us so we can speak with you.

Close up of black man with text that says Black mental health matters

For black men, experiences of trauma begin early in life, are prolonged, and remain unresolved. These experiences also underlie the vast majority of mental health disparities, particularly higher levels of depression linked to psychosocial stressors and a lack of access to quality mental health services. This project explores the biological, psychological, and sociological factors associated with black men’s experiences of trauma by drawing on complementary quantitative and qualitative methods for both basic and applied research. In order to explore trauma past, present, and future, the study will: 1) gather a more complete understanding of how black men give meaning to prior trauma and violence, particularly childhood experiences; 2) assess the ongoing stress and risk in toxic environments, including stressors like incarceration, family conflict, racialized violence of police and gang activity, and limited employment and educational opportunities; and 3) catalog the creation of strategies for healthy resilience to toxic environments.

Research suggests not only that resilience is a distinct path of recovery from trauma but also that there are more paths to resilience than are commonly acknowledged. Accordingly, this study is attuned to black men’s own strengths and adaptations—such as the utilization of close intimate and family relationships—to remain resilient in the face of extensive trauma.

The study will use a mixed-methods study design with Black men (n=30) recruited from three sites in the Washington, D.C., Prince George’s County, and Baltimore areas through community based partnerships. Quantitative measures along with semi-structured in-depth qualitative interviews will be performed using a grounded theoretical framework. The study’s results will be disseminated through conference presentations, peer-reviewed publications, community based webinars, and online interactive formats.

Get Involved

For those interested in learning more, please visit the study's website at: https://blackmenshealthumd.wordpress.com or call 301-276-4210. Be sure to follow the study's Twitter account @BMH_UMD.

Craig Fryer, faculty member of the School of Public Health at the University of Maryland

Dr. Craig Fryer

Interim Chair, Behavioral and Community Health Department at the University of Maryland

Trained as behavioral scientist, Dr. Fryer utilizes mixed methods study designs to examine the sociocultural context of health and health status, with an emphasis in community-engaged research. His work focuses on racial and ethnic health disparities in substance use and dependence, specifically tobacco and marijuana use among racial and ethnic youth and young adult populations. Follow Dr. Fryer on Twitter @drcsfryer.

Kevin Roy, faculty member of School of Public Health at the University of Maryland

Dr. Kevin Roy

Associate Professor, Family Science at the University of Maryland

Dr. Roy is recognized as an expert in the field of fatherhood research, with two decades of experience working with low-income families and community-based parenting programs. His research focuses on the life course of young men on the margins of kin networks and the work force, as they transition into adulthood and fatherhood. Feel free to follow Dr. Roy on Twitter @DrKevinRoy1.

Joseph Richardson wearing a white shirt and navy blue striped suit coat

Dr. Joseph Richardson

Chair, African-American Studies Department at the University of Maryland

Dr. Richardson’s research focuses on four specific areas: 1) Gun violence; 2) The intersection of structural violence, interpersonal violence and trauma among Black boys and young Black men; 3) The intersection of the criminal justice and healthcare systems in lives of young Black men; 4) Parenting strategies for low-income Black male youth. Feel free to follow Dr. Richardson on Twitter @docjorich.

 

Matt Rodriguez, graduate student of School of Public Health at the University of Maryland

Matt Rodriguez

Research Assistant, Family Science at the University of Maryland

Matt is a Family Science doctoral student. His research focuses on ethnic minority men and their families along with interventions incorporating mobile health technology. Feel free to follow Matt on Twitter @MattR_Rodriguez.

School of Public Health Department of Family Science logo from the University of Maryland

 

School of Public Health Behavioral and Community Health logo from the University of Maryland

 

University of Maryland Department of African American Studies logo

 

Brain and Behavior Institute logo from the University of Maryland

 

 

Prince George's Hospital Center logo from the University of Maryland

 

School of Public Health Center for Healthy Families logo from the University of Maryland

 

 

 

 

Men and Health

Richardson, J., B., Wical, W., Kottage, N., & Bullock, C. (2020). Shook Ones: Understanding the Intersection of Nonfatal Violent Firearm Injury, Incarceration, and Traumatic Stress Among Young Black Men. American Journal of Men’s Health. doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/1557988320982181

Sterling, K. L., Fryer, C. S., & Fagan, P. (2016). The Most Natural Tobacco Used: A Qualitative Investigation of Young Adult Smokers’ Risk Perceptions of Flavored Little Cigars and Cigarillos. Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco, 18(5), 827-833. doi:https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntv151

Richardson, J. B., St. Vil, C., Sharpe, T., Wagner, M., & Cooper, C. (2016). Risk factors for recurrent violent injury among black men. Journal of Surgical Research, 204(1), 261-266. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jss.2016.04.027

Cardoza, V. J., Documét, P. I., Fryer, C. S., Gold, M. A., & Butler, J. (2012). Sexual Health Behavior Interventions for U.S. Latino Adolescents: A Systematic Review of the Literature. Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology, 25(2), 136-149. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpag.2011.09.011

Thomas, S. B., Quinn, S. C., Butler, J., Fryer, C. S., & Garza, M. A. (2011). Toward a fourth generation of disparities research to achieve health equity. Annual Review of Public Health, 32, 399-416. doi:https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-031210-101136

Men and Relationships

Roy, K., & Yumiseva, M. (2021). Family separation and transnational fathering practices for immigrant Northern Triangle families. Journal of Family Theory & Review. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/jftr.12404

Roy, K. M., Buckmiller, N., & McDowell, A. (2008). Together but not “together”: Trajectories of relationship suspension for low‐income unmarried parents. Family Relations, 57(2), 198-210. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3729.2008.00494.x

Roy, K. M., & Lucas, K. (2006). Generativity as second chance: Low-income fathers and transformation of the difficult past. Research in Human Development, 3(2-3), 139-159. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/15427609.2006.9683366

Men and Roles

Richardson, J. B. (2012). Beyond the Playing Field: Coaches as Social Capital for Inner-City Adolescent African-American Males. Journal of African American Studies, 16(2), 171-194. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s12111-012-9210-9

Richardson, J. B., Jr. (2009). Men Do Matter: Ethnographic Insights on the Socially Supportive Role of the African American Uncle in the Lives of Inner-City African American Male Youth. Journal of Family Issues, 30(8), 1041-1069. doi:https://doi-org.proxy-um.researchport.umd.edu/10.1177/0192513X08330930

Roy, K. (2008). A Life Course Perspective on Fatherhood and Family Policies in the United States and South Africa. Fathering: A Journal of Theory, Research, and Practice about Men as Fathers, 6(2), 92-112. doi:https://doi.org/10.3149/fth.0602.92

Roy, K. M. (2004). You can’t eat love: Constructing provider role expectations for low-income and working-class fathers. Fathering: A Journal of Theory, Research, and Practice about Men as Fathers, 2(3), 253-276. doi:https://doi.org/10.3149/fth.0203.253

Men and Resources

Roy, K. (1999). Low-income single fathers in an African American community and the requirements of welfare reform. Journal of Family Issues, 20(4), 432-457. doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/019251399020004002

Men and Environments

Roy, K. M., & Smith Lee, J. R. (2020). Ghosting in safe relational spaces: Young Black men and the search for residence. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 70. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2020.101193

Richardson, J. B., Jr., Van Brakle, M., & St Vil, C. (2014). Taking boys out of the hood: exile as a parenting strategy for African American male youth. New directions for child and adolescent development, 2014(143), 11-31. doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/cad.20052

Walker, R., Fryer, C., Butler, J., Keane, C., Kriska, A., & Burke, J. (2011). Factors Influencing Food Buying Practices in Residents of a Low-Income Food Desert and a Low-Income Food Oasis. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 5(3), 247-267. doi:https://doi-org.proxy-um.researchport.umd.edu/10.1177/1558689811412971

Roy, K. (2004). Three-block fathers: Spatial perceptions and kin-work in low-income African American neighborhoods. Social Problems, 51(4), 528-548. doi:https://doi.org/10.1525/sp.2004.51.4.528

Theoretical Frameworks

Gilbert, K. L., Ray, R., Richardson, J., Carson Byrd, W., & Johnson, O. (2018). The matter of lives underneath black male skin: Using theory and media to explore the case of “justifiable homicides” for black males. Research in Race and Ethnic Relations, 20, 171-183. doi:https://doi.org/10.1108/S0195-744920180000020011

Jones, M. M., & Roy, K. (2017). Placing Health Trajectories in Family and Historical Context: A Proposed Enrichment of the Life Course Health and Development Model. Maternal and child health journal, 21(10), 1853-1860. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-017-2354-4

Roy, K. (2014). Fathering from the long view: Framing personal and social change through life course theory. Journal of Family Theory & Review, 6(4), 319-335. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/jftr.12050

Research Methods

Fryer, C. S., Passmore, S. R., Maietta, R. C., Petruzzelli, J., Casper, E., Brown, N. A., . . . Quinn, S. C. (2016). The Symbolic Value and Limitations of Racial Concordance in Minority Research Engagement. Qualitative health research, 26(6), 830-841. doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732315575708

Roy, K., Zvonkovic, A., Goldberg, A., Sharp, E., & LaRossa, R. (2015). Sampling Richness and Qualitative Integrity: Challenges for Research With Families. Journal of Marriage and Family, 77(1), 243-260. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/jomf.12147

Quinn, S. C., Garza, M. A., Butler, J., Fryer, C. S., Casper, E. T., Thomas, S. B., . . . Kim, K. H. (2012). Improving informed consent with minority participants: results from researcher and community surveys. Journal of empirical research on human research ethics : JERHRE, 7(5), 44-55. doi:https://doi.org/10.1525/jer.2012.7.5.44