Community Mental Health Journal, Vol. 32, No. 3, June 1996 Perceived Experiences of Racism as Stressful Life Events Vetta L. Sanders Thompson, Ph.D. ABSTRACT: The impact of racism on African American personality, behavior, and health has been debated in the psychological literature. There has been little research however, on racism as a stressful life event. The goal of this study was to learn whether perceived racism produces symptoms of subjective distress noted in relation- ship to other stressful life events. In addition, this study sought to find whether racial identification mediated the psychological impact of perceived experiences of racism. Two hundred African American adults were surveyed. Participants completed a 30 item racial identification measure, a questionnaire that requested information on the experience of racism, and the Impact of Events scale. The results showed that one third of the participants reported a perceived experience of racism within six months of the interview. Mean scores for intrusion symptoms were higher as the seriousness of the reported event increased. While participants reported avoidance symptoms, there were no differences based on the seriousness of the racial incident. Racial iden- tification did not mediate the impact of the experience of racism. The issue of the relevance of race, its impact and management, has an extensive recent history in counseling and psychotherapy discus- sions (Goldberg & Hodes, 1992; Myers & King, 1983; Kupers, 1981; Block, 1980; Griffith, 1977). These issues are difficult to resolve with- out a discussion of the impact of race and race relations. Traditionally, the impact of racism has been discussed from a sociological perspective and the group impact has received the most attention. A part of the Vetta L. Sanders Thompson, Ph.D., is affiliated with the University of Missouri-St. Louis, De- partment of Psychology. Address correspondence to Vetta L. Sanders Thompson, Ph.D., University of Missouri-St. Louis, Dept. of Psychology, 8001 Natural Bridge Rd., St. Louis, M O 63121. 223 © 1996 Human Sden~. Pre.s, Inc.