NCID-2895
Elizabeth Jelsma
Assistant Professor
University of Houston
Education/Degree:
1 Human Development and Family Sciences Human Development and Family Sciences (University of Texas at Austin)
About
I am a health disparities researcher, trained in a Human Development and Family Sciences program, who takes an ecological systems-approach to understanding the impacts of race-related stress on the health and well-being of adolescents, young adults, and their families. I have expertise in race-related stress, mental health, physical health, coping, and the development of young people and their families. I have published research on the influence of school-based racial discrimination for Black/African American adolescent mental health and substance use, the physiological toll of experiencing racial microaggressions at Predominantly White Institutions for Black and Latinx college students, and the vicarious experience of having one’s child experience racial discrimination for Black American parents' mental health.
Current Work
Dr. Jelsma's research investigates race-related stress and health among racial and ethnic minority youth and families in the United States. Her work shows that racism and discrimination are social determinants of health. In response to living, working, and raising families in a racist society, people of color have adopted many ways of coping with racial discrimination, often showing resilience and strength within an unfair and harmful context. Exploring coping mechanisms influencing the relationship between racial discrimination and health are critical to understanding individual variation within this discrimination-health link. Her research questions include, how do people cope with their lived experiences of discrimination, and how does such coping interact with stress exposure to influence physiology, mental health, and family well-being?
Research Area Keyword(s)
racial discrimination, Black and African American, Family, Adolescents, Health