Research Symposium

BIO

Emal Kashif is a second-year Biological sciences major at Florida State University pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree on the pre-dental track. She is involved in the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP), researching in the Trauma-Informed Systems of Care program under Dr. Millender where her work focuses on color-based discrimination and mental health outcomes. Emal's academic interests center on a future in dental school where she plans to integrate her research on public health awareness and trauma-informed approaches into patient-centered care.

Colorism and Black Women's Mental Health

Abstract

Colorism refers to prejudice based on skin tone, with individuals of darker skin tones typically encountering negative biases more frequently in comparison to those of lighter skin tones. This phenomenon occurs within as well as between racial groups and has had a detrimental impact on the mental health of people with darker skin tones. On a team of several other research assistants, we each screened approximately 500 abstracts (2,145 total)
for relevant data concerning the effects of Colorism on the mental health of primarily African American women, then further reviewed 40 full-texts to determine if they were applicable for the final scoping review.

Keywords: Colorism, Mental health, Depression