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Key points
- Wherever we go we take our trauma with us.
- Substance use disorders often have their roots in trauma.
- Black Americans have a much higher exposure to trauma than other races.
- Over 42% of Black workers faced race-based unfair treatment in the workplace in the past five years.
Wherever you go you take your trauma with you.
The effects of trauma can show up in how we interact with others, in relationships and in our families. It can also show up in how we parent and even how we manage our money. It’s not surprising, then that the effects of trauma can also show up and create chaos in the workplace.
Employees deserve to feel safe being their most authentic selves at work.
Leaders who recognize that the effects on trauma, especially race-based trauma, may permeate the workplace can create a trauma-informed environment that mitigates the tension that can come from a multitude of conflicting feelings occurring in the same space.
While it is impossible to control an employee’s feelings or experiences, a leader can establish a trigger-free environment built on transparency and trust. This work is most effective when initiated with a DEI consultant who can unearth the root causes of racial trauma. An expert DEI consultant can aid leaders in understanding how racial trauma impacts the workplace and explore strategies for deploying trauma-informed leadership to combat it.
Understanding racial trauma and its effects in the workplace is the first step toward creating an environment in which everyone feels safe being their most authentic selves.
Exploring the Roots of Race-Based Traumatic Stress
Race-based traumatic stress (RBTS) and other childhood adversities are much more common in children of color and the effects of ongoing discrimination, micoraggressions, and other racial trauma can exacerbate the impact of childhood traumas. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has documented in its Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study that childhood maltreatment is highly associated with mental health issues, including a higher risk of substance-use disorders (SUD) and eating disorders. ACEs also play a role in the development of chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and cancer.
RBTS can compound other traumas and may be perpetuated in the workplace through microaggressions, which are often unconscious. These subtle discriminatory actions, like comments about appearance or language or ethnicity, accumulate over time and directly impact mental well-being.
To mitigate the harmful effects of race-based traumatic stress, it is imperative to deploy trauma-informed leadership and foster an inclusive and psychologically safe work environment. Leaders can do this by promoting awareness of racial trauma and its effects in the workplace, and being cognizant of unconscious biases. By demonstrating that no form of racial bias will be tolerated, leaders can cultivate a culture that combats the effects of trauma and contributes to healing.
Substance Use Disorders Are Rooted in Trauma, Including RBTS
There often exists an invisible link between substance use disorders and trauma. Devastatingly, individuals who experienced racial trauma or child maltreatment during childhood often turn to substances in an attempt to ease their pain. The stigma around mental health concerns, as well as a lack of access to affordable care, are common factors in the increased prevalence of substance use disorders in those who have experienced trauma.
Racial trauma experienced during childhood has a devastating impact. Research indicates that Black Americans have a much higher exposure to trauma than individuals from other racial backgrounds. A study on highly traumatized individuals revealed substantial rates of substance dependence, with childhood trauma, including physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, closely linked to current PTSD symptoms and cocaine dependence. More than 70% of adolescents undergoing substance use treatment reported a history of traumatic exposure. In fact, someone who experiences more than five childhood traumas is seven-to-ten times more likely to have a substance use disorder as an adult.
The National Council on Alcohol and Drug Dependence estimates that drug and alcohol misuse costs U.S. businesses more than $81 billion annually in lost productivity and leads to a 300% increase in an employer’s medical costs and benefits. These numbers are staggering but become almost trivial when compared to the heartbreaking impact substance use disorders have on an individual and their loved ones.
How can a leader combat these widespread issues? Although strides have been made to demystify the stigma around substance use disorders and mental health issues, there is still a lot of work to be done. Following are listed three ways in which race can impact SUD treatment.
1. Barriers to Accessing Substance Abuse Treatment for People of Color. The fact that trauma rates are much higher in marginalized individuals is compounded by the lack of access to substance use disorder treatment facilities and a shortage of BIPOC providers. Many Black individuals dealing with the effects of race and trauma end up in the criminal justice system due to little or no access to proper treatment for their substance use disorders. BIPOC patients are less likely to be offered medication-assisted treatment as well. Current research has also shown an increase in polysubstance abuse, particularly with cocaine, methamphetamines, xylazine and others for which there is no medication-assisted treatment.
2. Stigmas and Discrimination When Seeking Support. The stigma surrounding seeking support continues to compound the issues related to the lack of options and diversity in substance-use disorder treatment facilities. Fear of judgment, social isolation, and negative labeling would discourage anyone from reaching out for support. Add discrimination into the mix, and Black individuals suffering from substance abuse disorder face an even bigger challenge than those facing individuals from other racial backgrounds.
3. Inclusive Treatment Programs Break Racial Barriers. The lack of diversity within substance use disorder (SUD) treatment facilities is concerning. When Black individuals are unable to locate a culturally-informed and linguistically-concordant mental health professional who can understand and connect with them in a meaningful way, it deters help-seeking, which leads to treatment noncompliance and drop-out.
Mitigating the Effects of Trauma in the Workplace
Although an individual’s trauma may not have originated at work, its effects will likely manifest themselves and impact the workplace at some point. Leaders can mitigate this by creating a safe, inclusive environment where diversity and belonging are paramount.
HR professionals, managers, and executives have an important role to play in dealing with employees who have substance use disorders. An inquiry may be initiated due to an employee’s behavior on the job or when an employee requests help. Accommodations may need to be made for physician appointments, attendance at 12-step meetings, or illnesses related to substance use withdrawal. Most important, HR professionals, managers, and executives can ensure that employees feel seen, heard, and understood throughout the process, resulting in more-positve outcomes.
Creating a safe space is essential for empowering employees to feel comfortable seeking help. When employees recognize that their leaders do not judge or berate them for their struggles, it will alleviate their concerns about how their struggles will be perceived in the workplace.
According to a 2021 survey by SHRM, over 42% of African American workers faced race- or ethnicity-based unfair treatment in the workplace over the past five years. That is almost half the workforce of African Americans. This statistic speaks to the need to provide diversity, equity, and inclusion trainings for staff and leadership at many companies by engaging a DEI consultant.
Employees will carry their trauma with them wherever they go, including the workplace. Leaders cannot control this, but they can alleviate the burden (and not add to it) by acknowledging the trauma and promoting mental health awareness in the workplace. Engage in trauma-informed leadership by offering support and access to equitable treatment and healing options, engaging the expert guidance of a DEI consultant, and fostering an inclusive, psychologically safe workplace that prioritizes every employee’s holistic well-being.
To find a therapist, visit the Psychology Today Therapy Directory.
References
Khoury L, Tang YL, Bradley B, Cubells JF, Ressler KJ. Substance use, childhood traumatic experience, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in an urban civilian population. Depress Anxiety. 2010 Dec;27(12):1077-86. doi: 10.1002/da.20751. PMID: 21049532; PMCID: PMC3051362.
https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/aces/index.html
SAMHSA: The Opioid Crisis and the Black/African Population: An Urgent Issue. Publication No. PEP20-05-02-001. Office of Behavioral Health Equity. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2020.
