MPC Member Publications

This database contains a listing of population studies publications written by MPC Members. Anyone can add a publication by an MPC student, faculty, or staff member to this database; new citations will be reviewed and approved by MPC administrators.

Full Citation

Title: Police Brutality and Mistrust in Medical Institutions

Citation Type: Journal Article

Publication Year: 2020

ISSN: 2196-8837

DOI: 10.1007/S40615-020-00706-W

Abstract: People bring the social contexts of their lives into the medical encounter. As a social determinant of health, police brutality influences physical and mental health. However, negative experiences with institutions such as law enforcement might decrease trust in other institutions, including medical institutions. Mistrust might limit engagement with the healthcare system and affect population health. This study investigates the relationship between police brutality and medical mistrust and assesses whether it varies by race. Data were obtained from a 2018 cross-sectional survey of adults living in urban areas in the USA (N = 4389). Medical mistrust was regressed on police brutality (experiences and appraisal of negative encounters with the police), controlling for socio-demographics, health status, and healthcare access. Means of mistrust were predicted by racial group after including interactions between police brutality and race. Respondents who had negative encounters with the police, even if they perceived these encounters to be necessary, had higher levels of medical mistrust compared to those with no negative police encounters. Police brutality increased mistrust for all racial groups. Conditions outside the medical system such as experiencing police brutality impact relationships with the medical system. Given that clinicians are in a unique position of having access to firsthand information about the struggles and injustices that shape their patients’ health, advocating for systemic change on behalf of their patients might build trust.

Url: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40615-020-00706-w

User Submitted?: No

Authors: Alang, Sirry; McAlpine, Donna D; Hardeman, Rachel

Periodical (Full): Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities 2020 7:4

Issue: 4

Volume: 7

Pages: 760-768

Countries:

IPUMS NHGIS NAPP IHIS ATUS Terrapop