Branquitude docente: impactos na saúde mental dos estudantes negros

Abstract

Racism is a social determinant of health, and it is understood that this act disrupts different aspects of an individual's life because it produces inequalities that affect biopsychosocial well-being.OBJECTIVE: To identify and analyze how the lack of faculty representation impacts the mental health and future professional prospects of Black students. METHODOLOGY: This is a quantitative, exploratory, and descriptive study conducted in a single phase using Google Forms®, consisting of a sociodemographic questionnaire, the SRQ-20 (Self-Reporting Questionnaire), an instrument developed by the World Health Organization and used as a screening scale to assess indicators of common mental disorders (CMDs), and the Scale of Perception of Racial Representation and Academic Experience (EPRREA), an instrument developed to measure university students' perceptions of racial representation among faculty, institutional belonging, experiences of racial discrimination, and psychosocial impacts associated with the presence or absence of Black and Brown faculty members in higher education. RESULTS: The study included a sample of 30 participants, predominantly women who self-identified as Black, most of whom were young and living with low income. According to the SRQ-20, 19 of the 30 participants (63.3%) showed probable psychological distress or suspicion of common mental disorders. Based on the EPRREA results, 23 participants reported a negative perception of racial representation among faculty and felt excluded from the institutional environment. CONCLUSION: The findings highlight the importance of education that also addresses racial issues, with the aim of preparing future nursing professionals who are capable of identifying and combating institutional racism in healthcare in order to promote better conditions of care, especially regarding the mental health of patients and healthcare teams. A professional training process associated with lower levels of psychological distress and fewer traumatic experiences caused by institutional racism contributes to better academic development, greater motivation, and encourages a return to the academic teaching environment.