Poster #18

Adverse Childhood Experience in African American Men and Resistance to Mental Health Treatment

By: Dominique Lloyd, PsyD

Abstract:

Over the past couple of decades, the medical field has become increasingly aware of the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). While studies of the long-term impact of ACEs have helped mental health professionals to understand the psychological and physiological impacts of negative childhoods, they have not examined the effects of ACEs on African American men in particular. Moreover, researchers have not examined the effects of ACEs in African American men as these experiences relate to resistance to mental health treatment.

The purpose of this study is to examine the role of ACEs in resistance to mental health treatment among African American men. The results indicated there is a relationship between negative beliefs towards mental illness and ACEs in seeking mental health services. The study also indicates the need for future research, including examining the effect of ACEs on other ethnicities and other demographic factors and utilizing other measurements to capture resistance to mental health treatment.

dominique lloyd

Dominique Lloyd is a full-time doctoral student completing her fourth year in Clinical Forensic Psychology. She received her bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in criminal justice from Quincy University in 2017. She has experience working as a CADTP registered substance abuse counselor for 2.5 years. Currently, she works as a mental health technician at a residential in-patient treatment center for adolescents as well as an independent therapist contractor at Sylmar Rehabilitation Center. In addition, she is completing her internship at a private practice administering psychological testing while being supervised by a licensed clinical forensic psychologist and providing school-based psychotherapy to adolescents in a high school setting.

Dominique founded the Teleology Project in 2021. She was inspired by the events of COVID and understood the need for unhoused individuals missing important resources with the world being shut down. As Teleology Project became a nonprofit organization that provides unhoused individuals with toiletries and food, she strives to help the community by empowering individuals who have lost significantly.