Police Killings Of Unarmed Black Americans Damage Mental Health In African-American Neighborhoods, Study Finds
While other studies have focused on the adverse affects of black killings, the Lancet study researchers aimed for a better sense of how police violence is felt on a population level months before and after a shooting.
PBS NewsHour:
New Study Gives Broader Look Into How Police Killings Affect Black Americans’ Mental Health
Police killings of unarmed black Americans negatively affect the mental health of black adults in the states where the fatal incidents occur, according to a study published Thursday. The report, published today in British journal The Lancet, focused on the mental well-being of black adults who are not directly involved in acts of police violence, adding to a body of research that suggests the killings are “a public health issue,” said Dr. Atheendar S. Venkataramani, one of the study’s lead authors. (Barajas, 6/21)
The New York Times:
Police Killings Have Harmed Mental Health In Black Communities, Study Finds
The mental health of white Americans was not similarly affected, the researchers found. Nor were negative health effects associated with police killings of unarmed white Americans or armed black Americans. While these findings might seem unsurprising, particularly to African-Americans, the researchers contended that their study was a significant attempt to assess the measurable, if indirect, harms that police violence has inflicted on the broader psychological and emotional well-being of African-Americans.(Eligon, 6/21)
