Racial Trauma
Research

Overview and Literature Review

Holmes, S. C., Zare, M., & Haeny, A., & Williams, M. T. (2024). Racial stress, racial trauma, and evidence-based strategies for coping and empowerment. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 20, 77-95. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-081122-020235

Williams, M. T., Khanna Roy, A., MacIntyre, M., & Faber, S. (2021). The traumatizing impact of racism in Canadians of colour. Current Trauma Reports, 8, 17–34. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40719-022-00225-5 [invited]

Williams, M. T., Osman, M., Gran-Ruaz, S., & Lopez, J. (2021). Intersection of racism and PTSD: Assessment and treatment of racism-related stress and trauma. Current Treatment Options in Psychiatry, 8, 167–185. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40501-021-00250-2

Williams, M. T., Haeny, A. & Holmes, S. (2021). Posttraumatic stress disorder and racial trauma. PTSD Research Quarterly, 32(1), 1-9.

Williams, M. T., Holmes, S., Zare, M. Haeny, A. H., & Faber, S. C. (2023). An evidence-based approach for treating stress and trauma due to racism. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 30 (4), 565-588. . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpra.2022.07.001

Bartlett, A., Faber, S., Williams, M., & Saxberg, K. (2022). Getting to the root of the problem: Supporting clients with lived-experiences of systemic discrimination. Chronic Stress, 6, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1177/24705470221139205

Carlson, M. D., Endsley, M., Motley, D., Shawahin, L. N., & Williams, M. T. (2018). Addressing the impact of racism on veterans of color: A race-based stress and trauma group. Psychology of Violence, 8(6), 748-762. http://doi.org/10.1037/vio0000221

Sawyer, B., DeLapp, R. C. T., & Williams, M. T. (2016). Community Violence Exposure, Racial Discrimination, and Barriers to Treatment: Implications for African American Males in Counseling. In W. Ross (Ed.), Counseling African American Males: Effective Therapeutic Interventions and Approaches (pp. 33-60). Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.

Gran-Ruaz, S., Caldwell, K., MacIntyre, M., Bartlett, A., Nepton, A., & Williams, M.T. (in press). A clinical case series: Evaluation of a novel Healing Racial Trauma Treatment Protocol. Traumatology. https://doi.org/10.1037/trm0000602

Halstead, M., Reed, S., Krause, R., & Williams, M. T. (2021). Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD related to experiences of racial discrimination. Clinical Case Studies, 20(4), 310-330. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534650121990894

Williams, M. T., Malcoun, E., Sawyer, B., Davis, D. M., Bahojb-Nouri, L. V., & Leavell Bruce, S. (2014). Cultural adaptations of Prolonged Exposure therapy for treatment and prevention of posttraumatic stress disorder in African Americans. Behavioral Sciences, 4(2), 102-124. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs4020102

Holmes, S. C., Williams, M. T., Zalewa, D. & Wetterneck, C. T. (2023). Development of the Oppression-Based Traumatic Stress Inventory (OBTSI): A novel and intersectional approach to measuring traumatic stress. Frontiers in Psychology: Psychopathology, 14(1232561), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1232561

Williams, M. T. & Zare, M. (2022). A psychometric investigation of racial trauma symptoms using a semi-structured clinical interview with a trauma checklist (UnRESTS). Chronic Stress, 6, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1177/24705470221145126

Williams, M. T., Osman, M., Gallo, J., Printz, D., Gran-Ruaz, S., Strauss, D., Lester, L., George, J., Edelman, J., & Litman, L. (2022). A clinical scale for the assessment of racial trauma. Practice Innovations, 7(3), 223–240. https://doi.org/10.1037/pri0000178 APA Award for top-downloaded journal article published in 2022.

Williams, M. T., Metzger, I., Leins, C., & DeLapp, C. (2018). Assessing racial trauma within a DSM-5 framework: The UConn Racial/Ethnic Stress & Trauma Survey. Practice Innovations, 3(4), 242-260. http://doi.org/10.1037/pri0000076

Williams, M. T., Osman, M., Gran-Ruaz, S., & Lopez, J. (2021). Intersection of racism and PTSD: Assessment and treatment of racism-related stress and trauma. Current Treatment Options in Psychiatry, 8, 167–185. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40501-021-00250-2

Williams, M. T., Pena, A., & Mier-Chairez, J. (2017). Tools for assessing racism-related stress and trauma among Latinos. In L. T. Benuto (Ed.), Toolkit for Counseling Spanish-Speaking Clients. Springer. ISBN: 978-3-319-64880-4. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-64880-4_4

Williams, M. T., Printz, D., Ching, T., & Wetterneck, C. T. (2018). Assessing PTSD in ethnic and racial minorities: Trauma and racial trauma. Directions in Psychiatry, 38(3), 179-196.

Williams, M. T., Printz, D., & DeLapp, R. C. T. (2018). Assessing racial trauma with the Trauma Symptoms of Discrimination Scale. Psychology of Violence, 8(6), 735-747. http://doi.org/10.1037/vio0000212

Osman, M., Gran-Ruaz, S., Rios Maia da Silva, L., & Williams, M. (2025). Treating racial trauma: Methodology of a randomized controlled trial of the Healing Racial Trauma Protocol. Behavioral Sciences, 15(7), 856. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15070856

Steketee, A., Williams, M., Valencia, B., Printz, D., & Hooper, L. M. (2021). Racial and language microaggressions in the school ecology. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 16(5), 1075-1098. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691621995740

Saleem, F. T., Anderson, R. E., & Williams, M. T. (2020). Addressing the "myth" of racial trauma: Developmental and ecological considerations for youth of color. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 23(1), 1–14. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10567-019-00304-1

Sawyer, B., Williams, M.T., DeLapp, R. C. T., & Davis, D. M. (2016). Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. In A. Breland-Noble, C. S. Al-Mateen, & N. N. Singh (Eds.), Handbook of Mental Health in African American Youth (pp. 237-247). Springer. ISBN: 978-3-319-25501-9.