# Racial issues in psychiatry: a thematic analysis of an initial health equity educational activity for medical students

## TL;DR

This study explores how a lecture on racial issues in psychiatry affected medical students' understanding and reflections on antiracism in healthcare.

## Contribution

The study introduces a novel educational approach to address racial issues in psychiatry through a single-session lecture for medical students.

## Key findings

- Students appreciated the lecture content and its relevance to clinical care.
- Themes included social determinants of health and power dynamics in patient interactions.
- The study highlights opportunities for future antiracist education in medical training.

## Abstract

Current research documents both the historical impact of racism in healthcare as well as studies piloting antiracist interventions as part of medical training to ameliorate its stigma, bias, and consequences in medicine. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively analyze the impact of a one session lecture surrounding racial issues in psychiatry on third-year medical students’ thoughts and reflections surrounding the content.

Remote methodologies were used to engage medical students in a lecture created by a major University’s Substance Use Disorder Center of Excellence to address the legacy of racial issues in psychiatry as well as present interventions. The team collected anonymous evaluations via anonymous chat submission after each lecture. Qualitative evaluation data were compiled from 108 students across 11 sessions over the course of a year. The team reviewed major and minor themes and synthesized following the Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research (SRQR) guidelines for qualitative reporting.

We identified the following five themes:1) appreciation and notes on the content itself; 2) how the information presented can impact future clinical care; 3) the interconnectedness of social determinants of health and racism; 4) recognizing power dynamics with patients; and 5) opportunities for future education.

Information compiled both from participating students and the available literature can inform future education efforts to build opportunities for antiracist training in medical education.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12910-025-01215-3.