Dr. Shawn Utsey

Associate professor, African American studies and psychology
Chair of African American studies

Contact information

915 W Franklin St, Stark House, rm 102
PO Box 842509
Richmond, VA 23284-2509
(804) 828-1384
(804) 828-1665 fax
soutsey@vcu.edu
http://www.has.vcu.edu/psy/iam/

Education

PhD (1997) in counseling psychology, Fordham University

Biographical statement

Dr. Utsey received his doctorate in counseling psychology from Fordham University in New York City. He completed his clinical internship at Pace University in New York City. Dr. Utsey is a member of the Association of Black Psychologists and currently the Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of Black Psychology. His prior academic appointments include assistant professor of counseling psychology at Seton Hall University and associate professor of counseling psychology at Howard University. Currently, Dr. Utsey is an associate professor of counseling psychology in the Department of Psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University and a licensed clinical psychologist in the state of Virginia. He became chair of African American studies in 2007.

Research interests

Dr. Utsey's research interests lie primarily in two areas, both of which are related to the psychology of the African American experience. First, he is interested in understanding how race-related stress impacts the physical, psychological and social well-being of African Americans. More recently, he has examined how trauma manifests in the victims of racial violence. Currently he is conducting a study that explores the long-term effects of the psychological trauma experienced by survivors of race riots that occurred in the early part of this century. This study entails a mix-methods design using both quantitative and qualitative methods of inquiry. Other areas of interest include examining the influence of African American culture (e.g., collective social orientation, spiritual centeredness, verve, etc.) on indicators of health and well-being.

Representative publications

Utsey, S. O, Giesbrecht, N., & Hook, J. N., & Stanard (2008). Cultural, sociofamilial, and psychological resources that inhibit psychological distress in African Americans exposed to stressful life events and race-related stress. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 55, 49-62.

Utsey, S. O., & Hook, J. N. (2007). Heart rate variability as a physiological moderator of the relationship between race-related stress and psychological distress. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 13, 250-253.

Utsey, S. O., Hook, J., & Stanard, P. (2007). A re-examination of cultural factors in relation to risk, resilience, and African American suicide: A review of the literature and recommendations for future research. Death Studies, 31, 399-416.

Utsey, S. O., Bolden, M. A., Williams, O., III., Lee, A., & Lanier, Y. (2007). Spiritual well-being as a mediator of the relation between culture-specific coping and quality of life in a community sample of African Americans. Journal of Cross Cultural Psychology, 38, 123-136.

Utsey, S. O., Bolden, M. A., Lanier, Y., & Williams, O. III. (2007). Examining the role of culture -specific coping in predicting resilient outcomes among African
Americans from high risk urban communities. Journal of Black Psychology, 33,
75-93.

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