Race, Stress and Black Mother and Infant Mortality: Emotional Health Matters

featuring Angela Neal-Barnett, Ph.D. and Christin Farmer Kane, B.A

Thursday, May 21, 2020 - 12:00pm ET

Within the United States, Black maternal and infant mortality has reached alarming rates. Black mothers and infants are 2.5 times more likely to die than their white counterparts. The major contributing factor is stress, particularly stress produced by structural racism. In this webinar led by a clinical psychological scientist and community-based doula, we present an overview of the role of race-related stress in Black maternal and infant mortality. We examine the psychosocial and biological data on its impact on mothers and babies. We present evidence on how stress is viewed by various groups of expectant and post-partum Black mothers. Barriers to implement stress and anxiety interventions with this population are discussed. Finally, we present data on our culturally-relevant community-engaged partnership to reduce the effects of stress and anxiety on expectant Black mothers. Participants will leave the webinar with a clear understanding of the major role stress and anxiety interventionists and researchers in reducing Black maternal and infant mortality