A qualitative study of the mental health consequences of racism among Roma
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2026 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
| Citation | |
| Description | The qualitative study examines the mental health consequences of racism and discrimination among Roma, with a focus on coping and resilience strategies. Two online focus groups were conducted with 12 Roma adults (5 women, 7 men; aged 20–63 years) between May and August 2024. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis with a combined deductive–inductive approach informed by racial trauma and racial microaggressions frameworks. Seven interrelated themes were identified, including the persistence of racism across the life course, fear of violence and skinhead attacks, intergenerational transmission of fear and parental anxiety, loss of trust in society, everyday anxiety and anticipation of discrimination, manifestations of racial trauma, and coping and resilience strategies. Participants described cumulative, identity-linked stress responses consistent with racial trauma. This study extends research on race-based traumatic stress beyond Anglophone contexts and provides the first evidence of symptoms consistent with racial trauma among Roma using a DSM-5–based framework. The findings highlight the need for culturally and historically grounded diagnostic tools, therapeutic approaches, and interventions that capture Roma-specific forms of racial stress and trauma. |