SPRING ACADEMIC PANEL
PLEASE INVITE COLLEAGUES AND JOIN US ON
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 26, 2024, 5:30-8:30 pm
Where: Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, Susan Hirt Hagen CORE Conference Room
Located in the Federal House, 5343 Station Road, Erie PA
NWPPA invites you to participate in our spring academic panel
This year NWPPA is pleased to begin the evening with an hour-long registration and conversation opportunity with light hors d’oeuvres.
Presentation 1: Pursuing a Deeper Understanding of the Black-White Mental Health Paradox: A Line of Inquiry
Presented by Megan LaMotte, Ph.D., Associate Director of Research, Susan Hirt Hagen CORE
Black Americans incur disproportionate stress due to systemic racial oppression in the United States and their socioeconomic disadvantages. Such stress exposure has significant negative impacts on Black peoples’ physical health. One would assume Black Americans’ mental health would equally suffer in the face of stress exposure, yet they have lower rates of depression and anxiety than Whites, a phenomenon referred to as the Black-White mental health paradox. In this presentation, I will discuss several theoretical mechanisms that potentially underly the paradox and review my empirical research on the topic. These studies highlight the importance of mixed methods and intersectionality as a theoretical framework and methodological approach in research on the paradox. Overall, I find that more research is needed on artifactual explanations of the paradox, and that any future research on race differences in mental health should not overlook within-race differences in outcomes or etiology.
Presentation 2: TBD
Presented by Derek A. McKay, Ph.D., ABPP-CN, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Mercyhurst University
You may inquire or register via email NWPPA at nwpapsychologicalassoc@gmail.com
We are excited to see you there!