CAB Lab Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Statement

The CAB Lab is affiliated with the University of Minnesota Department of Psychiatry within the Medical School, and therefore will adhere to the Medical School Diversity Statement in addition to our internally developed Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Statement.

 

  1. The CAB Lab recognizes racism as a public health crisis in the United States, with disparities being particularly pronounced in Minnesota. Minnesotans often pride themselves on having some of the highest quality of life outcomes in the nation; however, this mostly applies to white residents. Systemically oppressed Minnesotans face some of the worst racial inequities in the nation across many domains (income, education, life expectancy, health, business ownership, and arrest/incarceration rates). (1, 2, 3, 4)
    1. We are committed to recruiting a diverse staff and student group in an effort to support young scientists with identities that are underrepresented in STEM and academia due to racism, heterosexism, ableism and all other systems of oppression. (5, 6, 7)
    2. We commit to add CAB Lab members to the Department of Psychiatry Diversity and Inclusion committee. We will collaborate with department members to self-educate and to promote inclusivity and equity in our research, our department, and our community. (8)
    3. We will incorporate more meaningful measures and analyses of racial/ethnic identity and discriminatory experiences into our research. (9) We cannot discuss mental illness without acknowledging that people with multiple marginalized identities (e.g., racial minority status and mental illness) experience more adverse outcomes as a result of intersectional discrimination. (10) 
  2. We condemn police violence against Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC), as well as other systemically oppressed individuals including those experiencing mental illnesses, substance use disorders, and homelessness. (11, 12, 13)
    1. We will provide de-escalation training for all team members to better collaborate with university security when enacting safety protocols.
    2. We will work to create a list of emergency resources for participants that includes community alternatives as well as public emergency responders. 
  3. We acknowledge that communities of color have faced chronic discrimination in healthcare and research, resulting in mistrust toward these institutions.  Specifically, severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders are overdiagnosed among Black individuals due to racial bias. (14, 15)
    1. We will educate ourselves about discrimination against oppressed communities in the Twin Cities--particularly in the context of research and health organizations--by integrating relevant literature into academic reading groups.
    2. We will identify and address barriers to participation which inhibit the generalizability of our research findings. This includes building relationships with diverse and inclusive community organizations in order to equitably recruit and enroll participants into our research studies.

Sources

  1. NPR Indicator Interview with Professor Samuel L. Myers Jr.: Minnesota Paradox (2020)
  2. Minnesota Compass: Racial Disparities in Minnesota (2016)
  3. Twin Cities Metro Regional Disparities by Race and Origin (2016)
  4. Professor Samuel L. Myers Jr. University of Minnesota George Floyd Statement (2020) 
  5. Examining Racial/Ethnic Gaps in Persistence Across Postsecondary Fields (2019)
  6. Black Students’ and Parents’ Views of Science and Science Careers (2015)
  7. Intersections of Race and Class for Women in Academia (2012)
  8. Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences: Diversity and Inclusion
  9. Racism and health: Challenges and future directions in behavioral and psychological research (2019)
  10. Carliner et al. (2014)
  11. Minnesota’s Decades-Long Failure to Confront Police Abuse (2020)
  12. MPD 150: Timeline of Police Violence in Minneapolis
  13. Minnesota Daily: History of Police Brutality in the Twin Cities (2020)
  14. Overdiagnosis of Schizophrenia Said to be Persistent Among African Americans (2014)
  15. African-Americans more likely to be misdiagnosed with schizophrenia, study finds (2019)