Drawing on empirical studies and theoretical models from the V-TRaC Lab at the University of Ottawa, this presentation advances a national vision of Black psychology as a field essential to understanding, preventing, and treating racial mental health inequities and racism in psychological care in Canada. Findings point to a mental health crisis in Black communities, with high rates of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, suicidal ideation, and related conditions. Repeated racial discrimination - from daily microaggressions to overt institutional racism across systems - emerges as a robust predictor of this crisis beyond traditional sociodemographic factors. The presentation supports recognition of racial trauma as a core construct that captures the chronic, multigenerational, and intersectional effects of racism on mental health, identity, and social functioning. Qualitative results highlight major systemic barriers to mental health care, including institutional mistrust, cultural incongruence of services, and the underrepresentation of Black psychologists. Together, the evidence underscores the urgent need for structures that can strengthen Black psychology nationwide as a critical pathway to reducing mental health disparities, advancing antiracist and culturally safe care and reinforcing research, training, and service infrastructures in Black psychology across Canada.
Jude Mary Cénat, Ph.D., M.Sc., C.Psych., is a clinical psychologist and Full Professor at the School of Psychology, Director of the Interdisciplinary Centre for Black Health and the Vulnerability, Trauma, Resilience and Culture Research Laboratory (V-TRaC Lab) at the University of Ottawa. He also holds the University of Ottawa Research Chair on Black Health. His research program explores factors associated with vulnerability, trauma, and resilience, with a particular interest in the role of cultural factors, racial disparities in health and social services, and global mental health. He conducts research in North America, Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean. He leads major projects on the mental health of Black communities in Canada, documenting for the first time the prevalence and related factors of depression, anxiety, PTSD, psychosomatic symptoms, and other mental health issues among Black people in Canada. With his team, he has also developed online trainings (through the bilingual platform https://santementalpourtous.ca / https://mentalhealthforveryone.ca) aimed at equipping mental health professionals to provide culturally responsive and anti-racist care. Dr. Cénat is also a member of the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists of the Royal Society of Canada.
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