• The Program for Research on Anxiety Disorders among African Americans
• Seeking New Research Participants
• Unacceptable Shades of Gray
• Award-Winning Research for Community Outreach

Hair Pulling "Trichotillomania" in African Americans
Press Release: The Kent State Study on Hair Pulling in African Americans
• To Be Female, Anxious, and Black: An Intra-Race Comparison of Middle Class African American Women With and Without Panic Disorder

The Program for Research on Anxiety Disorders among African Americans at Kent State University
Angela M. Neal-Barnett, Ph.D., Director

Mission Statement: To conduct high quality, publishable research on anxiety disorders among African Americans and insure the results of that research are disseminated in meaningful ways to African American communities.

"You ACT so White!"
"You TALK just like a White girl!"
"You THINK you're one of those White guys you hang around with, don't you?!"

They are accusations that can leave psychological wounds that never heal, and the African American adolescents who stand accused often fight back by hiding their intelligence, allowing grades to drop, or even isolating themselves from Black and/or White friends.

In a chapter from her upcoming book, Forging Links: African American Children Clinical Developmental Perspectives (Greenwood Publishing Group., 2001), Dr. Angela Neal-Barnett, Ph.D. closely examines the "acting white phenomenon", and finds that being accused of acting white has little to do with being White, and everything to do with what it means to be Black.

The "meaning" of what it is to be Black has never been etched in stone. Today, definitions range from "hardcore and militant" to "ghetto" to "bougie"- one stereotypical extreme to the other. When African American adolescents from different areas of this continuum meet, the "acting white" accusation comes into play, and results in various levels of emotional stress, anxiety, and even jealousy among its victims.

Dr. Neal-Barnett's article finds that the psychological implications of being accused of acting white are specific to the individual accused. Dozens of African American high school students were interviewed, and while some expressed anxious, angry, and envious feelings at the idea that they did not live up to the "norm" defined by their Black peers, others were merely irritated with the social "rule" of being forced to identify with Blacks, instead of just being accepted as a "human being".

Perhaps the most intriguing information to emerge from the students interviewed was the Black students' insistence that Dr. Neal-Barnett interview white students as well, who would "know best what acting white is." Although the seventeen white students interviewed were quick to pinpoint the stereotypical behaviors, language, and even appropriate style of dress associated with being black, they were at a loss for words when asked for a definition of "being white." This suggests that even white adolescents have adopted the Black definition of being white.

Although more research is needed to fully understand the acting white phenomenon and develop interventions that prevent adolescents from becoming permanently ensnared in its trap-the article, provides valuable information about the psychological implications of being accused of acting white, and provides insight into the relationship between acting white and racial identity among African Americans.

Acting white is the most negative accusation thrown in the face of many Black adolescents. As broad as the definitions on the continuum of "what it is to be Black" may be, it is imperative that African American adolescents, parents and teachers make room for all African Americans to fit in.

Phone (330) 672-2266
Fax (330) 672-3786
E-mail: aneal@kent.edu
 
 

Kent, OH--
No matter what the style, afros to braids, up-do's to weaves, African American women and men generally spend lots of time and money on their hair. In a never-before-researched and in-depth study, however, Dr. Angela Neal-Barnett, Ph.D. from Kent State University brings to light why some African Americans are pulling out their prized-locks from the root.

Trichotillomania (TM for short) is the clinical term for hair pulling that results in visible hair loss, and is characterized by the inability to control the temptation. Until now, the affects of TM have only been studied among Caucasians. Through dozens of interviews with beauticians, braiders, and barbers in the Akron-Canton area, Dr. Neal-Barnett found 16 African-American hair care professionals who reported having clients who engage in chronic hair pulling. The hair care professionals identified eighty "hair-plucking" customers, and 22 of them meet the general criteria for TM.

Although TM patients usually require treatment from licensed mental-health care professionals, African-Americans seem to turn to professionals with a license to do hair. "African Americans tend to seek assistance from help-giving sources within their communities," Dr. Neal-Barnett said. "In these cases, the source is the beautician, and the barber."

Dr. Neal-Barnett's study points out that although hair care professionals are quite adept at treating the consequences of chronic hair pulling (bald spots in the scalp and facial hair areas), they are unable to provide assistance for the pulling behavior itself.

Dr. Neal-Barnett's study advocates a collaboration between hair care professionals and their clients as a valuable link to the appropriate treatment of TM.

"Sometimes when investigating mental health issues among ethnic minorities, it is important to think outside the confines of traditional psychology," said Dr. Neal-Barnett. "What we are suggesting here is that the relationship between hair care professionals and customers be utilized in a way that leads to the proper treatment of clients with TM."
 

"Thanks again to all those who took the time and effort to help out in this study".

A video entitled "Strand by Strand. addressing hair pulling in the African American community"

Coming Soon...

A Cosmetology Continuing Education Workshop explaining the importance of the research.

Presentations, at Kent State University and a national psychology conference, on "Hair Pulling in African Americans: Only Your Hairdresser Knows for Sure".

Dear African American Women and Men with Trich:

Thank you for all the e-mails and phone calls about the research.   I am so glad the research is making a difference in your lives.    Many of you have written asking if you could participate in our research.  The answer is yes.   Currently we are conducting phone interviews with African American women  across the country to find out how trichotillomania affects their lives.  If you are between the ages of 18- 62 and would like to participate in this study please e-mail me at aneal@kent.edu or call me at 330-672-2266.   Once your request is received, a member of my staff will contact you to  tell you more about the study,  answer any questions you may have about the study, and arrange an interview.  Thanks so much for considering this invitation and remember, you are not alone.

Warmly,

Dr. Angela Neal-Barnett
Director, The Trichotillomania Project

Angela M. Neal-Barnett, Ph.D. All rights reserved.Some copyrighted graphics courtesy of African American Inspired Web Art and IconBazaar.  This site is best viewed with Netscape Communicator.

Last Updated: 9/5/01