Narrative Theater to Examine and Mitigate Anti-Black Racism Within Occupational Therapy.
Sally Wasmuth, Cierra Milton, Kevin Pritchard and 6 others
PMID 35266428WHAT IT FOUND
Attending a theatrical performance depicting anti-Black racism in occupational therapy significantly reduced stigma beliefs in audience members.
Attendees reported increased psychological flexibility, with White participants describing new awareness of their own complicity and Black participants feeling seen and affirmed.
Key findings
01The primary outcome measure (AAQ-S) showed a statistically significant decrease in scores after the performance, indicating decreased stigma beliefs and/or increased psychological flexibility.
02Qualitative analysis revealed that White participants identified with the play by recognizing past unintentional microaggressions and their own failure to speak out against inequity.
03Black participants valued the performance as a launching point for making racism visible and felt seen, heard, and affirmed by the experience.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The sample size for the quantitative analysis was small (n=60), and the study relied on self-reported changes in attitudes rather than observed behavioral changes. The study did not include a control group, so it is unclear if the changes in AAQ-S scores were due solely to the performance or other factors. Data were collected from a limited geographic area (mostly U.S. states), which may affect the generalizability of the findings. Technological imperfections, such as blurry video or poor sound, may have affected the audience's experience of the performance. There was no long-term follow-up to determine if the reductions in stigma beliefs were sustained over time.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest. The study was funded by the Indiana Minority Health Coalition and the Indiana University Racial Justice Research Fund.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that attending this performance leads to lasting behavioral change in clinical practice. The study measured immediate changes in self-reported stigma beliefs (AAQ-S scores) and attitudes via survey, but it did not track whether these changes persisted or translated into actual differences in how practitioners treated Black clients.