![[A black woman sitting a room, her chin resting in her hand, looking pensive.]](https://blogs.iu.edu/sciu/files/2025/02/blog-image-2.png)
In Part 1, I explored how systemic racism and racial disparities shape paranoia, particularly among Black Americans. If you missed it, I highly recommend giving it a read—it lays the foundation for what I’ll discuss here. In this second installment, I’ll focus on how systemic biases influence the diagnosis of paranoia and mental health, and why culturally informed assessments are essential for delivering care that’s not just accurate, but empathetic and effectively attuned to reality for people of color…
Entries by J Wolny
Beyond the surface: Understanding paranoia through racial disparities and systemic influences (Part 1)
![[A Black man lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, appearing deep in thought or contemplation.]](https://blogs.iu.edu/sciu/files/2025/01/featured-image-png.png)
Paranoia often conjures images of extreme beliefs: people out to get you, conspiring against you, or plotting harm. However, paranoia isn’t always that extreme—it exists on a spectrum, ranging from fleeting concerns about social judgment to full-blown persecutory delusions (fixed beliefs that you’re being targeted despite evidence to the contrary [Freeman et al., 2005]). Research shows that 30-40% of young adults experience some degree of paranoia, often tied to social anxiety or fears of negative evaluation…
Racial biases in neuroscience research methods: Electroencephalography (EEG) & black hair
![[A headshot of a woman staring deeply at the camera with her hands covering part of her face.]](https://blogs.iu.edu/sciu/files/2022/10/feature-image.png)
The lyrics “Don’t touch my hair, when it’s the feelings I wear,” sung by the widely acclaimed musician Solange, express how hair can be an extension of one’s identity for many in the Black community. However important hair is to many Black individuals, cultural sensitivity in working with Black clients and research participants is often absent from basic neuroscience research training…
How rat behavior may inform our understanding of racism
![[A white rat and black rat facing each other, peering inquisitively.]](https://blogs.iu.edu/sciu/files/2022/03/WR_BR_Final.png)
Imagine that you wake up in a small room with no doors. You quickly realize that there is no way out. Oh, shoot. Further, you see that there is another individual trapped in a small cylindrical Plexiglas container in the middle of this arena, with barely any room to move. You are not sure what the consequences could be if you go investigate—something could hurt you. Someone may grab you and trap you in a claustrophobia-inducing container as well. The first thought that comes to mind may be the Saw movie series, so you would likely be reluctant. The question is: would you attempt to free this individual in the face of these risks…