Student Researcher of Color:
Alexis Campbell

Alexis Campbell is from Dinwiddie, Virginia, a small rural town south of Richmond where mental health is not discussed at all. She wants to be able to provide access to resources and education to reduce stigma in the Black community. In May 2019, she graduated from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NCA&T) summa cum laude with a BA in psychology. Campbell is a candidate for a master’s degree in mental health counseling; her anticipated graduation date is May 2022.

Tell us about your research.

I conducted a previous research study at NCA&T under the guidance of the psychology department chair, Dr. George Robinson. This study examined the relationship between depression, anxiety, and related factors in college students. Working with him and conducting this study made me enjoy research and inspired me to continue.

Currently, I am examining the Black maternity experience and mental health along with Black women’s experiences with birth workers (i.e., nonmedical personnel, such as doulas, who assist at birthing). Participating in a practicum at a site that focuses on maternal mental health inspired this project. The goal is to spread awareness of maternal mental health and encourage greater attention to it during the prenatal period. This study will also explore Black/African American experiences with birth workers/doulas.

What inspired your interest in this area of study?

I am interested in increasing the positive maternity experiences of Black/African American women, particularly since research shows that working with a birth worker improves maternity experiences. Black women are four times more likely to die during childbirth than any other race. Birth workers have played an integral role in the lives of Black women as far back as history shows. The field was taken over by White men who belittled Black women and removed them from the field entirely. Black midwives and birth workers were labeled as the problem; however, maternal mortality rates increased during their absence. Now, Black women are working toward increasing their presence in the midwifery and doula field. Doulas help Black women through advocacy and empowerment. While research shows how birth workers can be effective, not enough women of color use or have access to them. Women from socially disadvantaged communities would benefit from the presence of a birth worker, especially if they are without a proper support system. Making Black health care professionals more accessible to Black people, especially women, can be the difference between life and death.

How do you see your research moving the field of psychology?

I envision myself expanding knowledge about the maternity experiences of Black/African American women to increase awareness and advocacy for change. During pregnancy, health care professionals show little interest in the mother’s mental health. Their focus is getting out a healthy baby. However, the mother’s mental health greatly affects the life she and the unborn child will have postpartum. Therefore, mental health needs to be focused on at all stages during and after pregnancy, to ensure both the mother and child are healthy. Working to move people toward perinatal mental health and the field of birth work will be a great step toward increasing awareness of maternal mental health and combating the maternal mortality crisis.

What policy, practice, public health significance does your research have?

My research has great significance in both public health and policy, as it will promote the creation of policies surrounding maternity support for Black/African women, while increasing public awareness and knowledge about birth workers. Hospitals and many medical professionals are interventionists; they are trained to opt for procedures that reduce pain and discomfort but are not always in the best interest of the mother. The idea that minorities are inferior influences the majority’s ideas and beliefs about the physical and mental health of Black people. Health care professionals do not take Black patients, especially women, seriously. They believe they know what is best for them and that the women do not know their bodies and needs well. These racial disparities affect the standard of care that Black mothers and their infants receive during pregnancy and postpartum. My research will show the need for more culturally competent health care professionals and how they can positively affect health and birth outcomes.

What is something you wish you knew about the research process before you started?

Engaging in my own research has been a process! Working directly with my professors has given me the chance to learn and make changes. During this study, I have learned that people in the area I have been researching (in and around Washington, D.C.) know little about birth workers and have little access to them. I may need to expand the area in which I collect participants in order to fully encompass what I want my study to show.

What’s next for you?

I am currently collecting data for my maternal health research and looking forward to publishing my findings to add to the literature. However, my long-term goal is to become a licensed mental health counselor and have a private practice focusing on African American individuals, couples, and families.