SBS Department Newsletter
Spring 2, 2023
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Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences
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A Renewed Call To Treat Everyone With Dignity And Respect
A report from the Royal College of Psychiatrists described striking findings from a 2022 survey of LGBTQ+ psychiatrists in the UK. The study found that 48% of all participants had experienced hostility at work because of their sexuality or gender identity. For those LGBTQ+ psychiatrists who were also from Black, Asian, and other minority background, 58% had experienced negative treatment. Hostile comments or actions, called microaggressions, were the most frequent types of hostility. This included negative comments about LGBTQ+ people and other minority groups in their presence.
These striking findings are a reminder to us that higher SES does not protect individuals belonging to stigmatized groups from discrimination, and that persons who identify with more than one stigmatized identity face higher risks. A large body of research has found that exposure to experiences of discrimination, even minor incidents, adversely affects both physical and mental health. Researchers from the Social and Behavioral Sciences have led the way in documenting the pathogenic effects of exposure to discrimination. Discrimination, regardless of the reason, adversely affects health. And discrimination has no place in our society.
As faculty, staff and students in SBS, this study is also a reminder to each one of us that, every single day, we have the opportunity to be role models of actively promoting the health and well-being of everyone we encounter, by treating each individual with dignity and respect, irrespective of their social status or personal or political beliefs. We should also always remember that the adverse effects of discrimination are real, and can be severe, and we need to make a renewed commitment not only to eradicating discrimination but also to supporting those who are suffering from its pernicious effects.
David R. Williams
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Monday, May 1 / 1:00–1:50 pm
Speaker: Stephen Bartels, MD, MS, James J. and Jean H. Mongan Chair in Health Policy and Community Health, Director of the Mongan Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital
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Tuesday, May 9 / 1:00–1:50 pm
Speaker: Cheryl Giscombe, PhD, Associate Dean of the PhD Division & Program and Levine Family Distinguished Scholar in Quality of Life, Health Promotion, and Wellness, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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The Lee Kum Sheung Center for Health and Happiness would like to thank Dr. Laura Kubzansky, who stepped down from her role as Co-Director in December 2022, for her work establishing and leading the Center over the past 6 years. As the Center moves forward under the leadership of Dr. Vish Viswanath, it is pivoting to focus primarily on translational science and translational activities. Dr. Kubzansky has taken on the role of Special Advisor as the Center undergoes its transition and will continue to serve as Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Harvard Chan. She is also continuing her role as co-Director of the JPH Environmental Health Fellowship Program, and also continuing her work with initiatives related to Health, Society, and Well-Being (including co-leading the summer short course on Emotional Well-Being and Physical Health link), as well as with the Center for Population and Development Studies on worker well-being and related projects. Read more about her significant contributions to the Center here.
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Jen Cruz and Lindsay Kephart received the 2023 Fineberg Fellowship for their dissertation work in cancer prevention and control.
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Denckla CA, Hahn J, Cowden R Bereavement, Memorial Attendance, And Mental Health During The COVID-19 Pandemic: Longitudinal Results From The Nurses’ Health Study American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry Annual Conference Poster Presentation | New Orleans, LA | Mar 4, 2023
Krieger N Health Justice, Critical Science & The Two-Edged Sword Of Data: Structural Problems Require Structural Solutions Annual Harvard Catalyst Biostatistics Symposium, Data Science and Health Disparities Keynote Presentation | Online | Mar 24, 2023
Matache M Navigating Health Inequalities In The EU Through Artificial Intelligence European Commission Directorate-General For Health And Food Safety Panel Presentation | Online | Mar 28, 2023
Rosenfeld L Action For Equity: Organizational Health Literacy Assessment Centers for Disease Control and Prevention OT21-2103 Spring Symposium Presentation | Online | Mar 2023
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Javadi D, Murchland AR, Rushovich T, Wright E, Shchetinina A, Siefkas AC, Todd KP,..., Krieger N Systematic Review Of How Racialized Health Inequities Are Addressed In Epidemiologic Reviews Articles (1979-2021): A Critical Conceptual And Empirical Content Analysis And Recommendations For Best Practices Epidemiol Rev | In press
Krieger N, LeBlanc M, Waterman PD, Reisner SL, Testa C, Chen JT Declining Survey Response Rates In The Time Of COVID-19: Implications For Analyses Of Population Health And Health Inequities Am J Public Health | In press
Espinosa Dice AL, Ye EX, Kim SG,..., Tiemeier H, Denckla CA Resilient Phenotypes Among Bereaved Youth: A Comparison Of Trajectory, Relative, And Cross-Domain Approaches Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health | Vol. 17(10), 23 | Feb 8, 2023, online ahead of print.
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