Background: Indirect or vicarious exposure to racism (e.g., hearing about or observing acts of racism or discrimination) is a salient source of stress for African Americans. Emerging research suggests that these "secondhand" experiences of racism may contribute to racial health inequities through stress-mediated pathways. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an inflammatory autoimmune disease that disproportionately impacts African American women and is characterized by racial disparities in severity. Health outcomes in this population may be susceptible to vicarious racism given that SLE is shown to be sensitive to psychosocial stress. Methods: Data are from 431 African American women with SLE living in Atlanta, Georgia in the Black Women's Experiences Living with Lupus (BeWELL) Study (2015-2017). Vicarious racism stress was measured with four items assessing distress from: (1) hearing about racism in the news; (2) experiences of racism among friends or family; (3) witnessing racism in public; and (4) racism depicted in movies and television shows. Multivariable linear regression was used to *

Black women are disproportionately affected by systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a chronic, potentially debilitating autoimmune disease, and they also experience more rapid progression and worse outcomes compared with other groups. We examined if racial discrimination is associated with disease outcomes among 427 black women with a validated diagnosis of SLE, who live in the Atlanta, Georgia, metropolitan area, and were recruited to the Black Women’s Experiences Living with Lupus Study (2015–2017). Frequency of self-reported experiences of racial discrimination in domains such as employment, housing, and medical settings was assessed using the Experiences of Discrimination measure. SLE activity in the previous 3 months, including symptoms of fatigue, fever, skin rashes, and ulcers, was measured using the Systemic Lupus Activity Questionnaire; irreversible damage to an organ or system was measured using the Brief Index of Lupus Damage. Results of multivariable linear regression analyses examining the Systemic Lupus Activity Questionnaire and log-transformed Brief Index of Lupus Damage scores indicated that increasing frequency of racial discrimination was associated with greater SLE activity (b = 2.00, 95% confidence interval: 1.32, 2.68) and organ damage (b = 0.08, 95% confidence interval: 0.02, 0.13). Comprehensive efforts to address disparities in SLE severity should include policies that address issues of racial discrimination.

Trainees with problems of professional competence (i.e., trainees with difficulty acquiring or maintaining developmentally appropriate levels of skill, functioning, attitudes, and/or ethical, professional, or interpersonal behavior across 1 or more settings) have broad and significant impacts across psychology education and training (Elman & Forrest, 2007; Forrest, Elman, & Shen-Miller, 2008; Kaslow et al., 2007). Existing data are equivocal about whether trainees perceive the training environment as helpful or harmful in addressing peer trainees with problems of professional competence (TPPC), and no published studies have targeted trainees’ decision-making about taking action with or the impact of TPPCs on relationships. We analyzed interviews with 12 trainees at various levels of training in professional psychology. Factors affecting relationships and decisions to take action included program characteristics, personal contexts, professional responsibilities (e.g., peer supervision) and expectations, boundary concerns, and fear of negative consequences. Program climate, trainer behaviors, and intersections with diversity provoked discomfort, frustration, conflict, withdrawal, loss of faith in peers and trainers, and negative relational outcomes. These factors also led to deepened relationships, action, and overall positive and negative learning experiences. Based on our results, we recommend integrating the competence constellation model (Johnson, Barnett, Elman, Forrest, & Kaslow, 2012, 2013) into training, building competence for intervening with peer TPPCs, and revising aspects of APA’s Ethical Code of Conduct.

Counseling psychologists value cultural diversity and, as a field, include many Women of Color (WoC) in leadership spaces. However, researchers have yet to explore the experiences of WoC leaders within the Society of Counseling Psychology (SCP; Division 17 of the American Psychological Association). Specifically, we sought to identify how WoC leaders engage culturally relevant leadership styles and what barriers (if any) WoC leaders experience within leadership in SCP. We utilized a semistructured interview protocol with 10 WoC who have held and/or currently hold a leadership position within SCP. We sought to construct a narrative of the development of leadership spaces for WoC, understand the culturally relevant leadership styles of WoC leaders and the barriers to engaging their leadership styles in SCP, and create recommendations for SCP to broaden and deepen leadership pathways for WoC. We coded the data using the Consensual Qualitative Research method and identified two major thematic sections: Becoming a WoC Leader (with themes of Identity, Role of Sponsorship, Mentorship from WoC Leaders, and Hurdles of Service Leadership) and Leadership Styles of WoC (with themes of Self-Awareness in Leadership, Intentionality, and Engaging Critical Conversations). We conclude with recommendations from the leaders and implications for SCP and leadership spaces broadly. Public Significance StatementWomen of Color leaders in Counseling Psychology engage culturally relevant leadership styles that center reflexive self-awareness, intentionality toward justice-oriented aims, and engaged critical conversations that spark organizational change. Although WoC leaders experience unique leadership challenges rooted in the complexities of their racial-gendered experiences, the blending of their personal and professional identities into leadership roles offers unique and transformative strengths in leadership spaces as demonstrated in the Society of Counseling Psychology.

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