Racism in U.S. takes toll on brain: research

NEW YORK, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- Racism in the United States has negatively impacted generations of people, leading to discrimination, lost economic opportunities, racist policing and incarceration, and in many cases, death, reported The Washington Post on Thursday.

"Even when the impact of racism is not so apparent or in the headlines, the pernicious effects of racial discrimination and structural racism take a toll on the brain and mental health," the report said, citing emerging research.

Experiences of racial discrimination are consistently linked with mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, substance use and PTSD, as well as physical ailments such as diabetes, hypertension and obesity, it noted.

"Black Americans, for instance, are about twice as likely as White Americans to develop dementia," the report said. "Racism is its own stressor and one that cannot be easily avoided."

Black people and other racial minorities -- and their brains -- can learn to adapt, but it comes at a cost. Over the long term, racism accelerates aging and degrades key brain circuits involved in regulating emotion and cognition, it added.