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In This Together
Sumi Raghavan, a clinical psychologist and assistant professor of psychology at William Paterson University, has a mental guide for desis to beat the pandemic MANMEET SAHNI
P
lowing through the pandemic has not been easy. A study by the Pew Research Center stated that minority groups, including Asian and Black communities, have reported facing racism since the pandemic hit. Other studies also suggest that there has been a surge in racist attitudes toward
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people of color. Often, socio-economic disparities in minority communities are tied closely to lack of health care access, including care for mental health issues. The U.S. Department of Health’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) stated that communities of color
experiencing structural racism have been more vulnerable duringthe pandemic.. In an interview with SEEMA, Dr. Sumi Raghavan, a South Asian American clinical psychologist and assistant professor of psychology at William Paterson University, discusses issues involving mental health and minorities. Raghavan, who focuses on the cross-cultural aspects of mental