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A race riot's effect on psychological symptoms.
Archives of General Psychiatry
|September 1, 1975
Summary
Collective processes during stressful events, like racial riots, may reduce psychological distress. This study found fewer symptoms in adults interviewed during or after a riot, challenging individual stress event theories.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Individual stressful events can increase psychological distress.
- Collective processes, such as group cohesion, may reduce distress.
- The impact of collective events on psychological distress requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of collective processes during a racial riot on psychological distress.
- To contrast reported symptom levels before, during, and after the event.
- To examine how collective events influence psychological symptom patterns.
Main Methods:
- Interviewed 938 adults before, during, and after a racial riot.
- Collected data on reported psychological symptom levels.
- Analyzed symptom changes in relation to the riot event.
Main Results:
- White suburbanites and urban black women reported fewer psychological symptoms.
- Reductions in symptom levels were associated with the riot event.
- Alternative explanations like seasonal changes or sampling bias were rejected.
Conclusions:
- Collective processes during a racial riot may reduce psychological distress.
- Racial riots can significantly affect both the rates and patterns of reported psychological symptoms.
- Epidemiological studies must consider the impact of collective events on symptom reporting.