Exploring the effects of racism on Black autistic children and their caregivers
Official title: Racism and Resilience Among Black Autistic Children and Caregivers
Funded at Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill · NIH-11060905 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how racism and the stress that comes from it affect the mental health of Black parents who have autistic kids between the ages of 3 and 9, and it involves talking to 300 caregivers in North Carolina and Pennsylvania to better understand their experiences and how it impacts both them and their children.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2024 |
| Project end | February 28, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $634,873 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH133654-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11060905 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are Black parents or caregivers of autistic children aged 3 to 9 years old.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not identify as Black or do not have autistic children within the specified age range may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how racism and racial trauma affect the mental health of Black parents with autistic children aged 3 to 9. By examining the experiences of 300 Black caregivers in North Carolina and Pennsylvania, the study aims to understand the impact of these stressors on both the caregivers' well-being and their children's behavior and development. The research employs a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative data to capture the full scope of the Black experience in relation to autism. Community involvement is a key aspect, ensuring that the voices of those affected are central to the findings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved support systems and interventions for Black autistic children and their families.
How similar studies have gone: While there is existing research on racial disparities in health, this specific focus on Black autistic children and their caregivers is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Boyd, Brian Antonio — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Boyd, Brian Antonio
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Understanding and improving support for male dementia caregivers
This project focuses on what helps or hinders men who care for people with dementia, with new ideas to reach and support them better.
-
Helping Advanced Cancer Patients and Families Plan Ahead with a Resilience-Building Web Program
A web-based resilience program is being tested to help people with advanced cancer and their family caregivers have meaningful conversations and complete advance directives.
-
Web program to help people with advanced cancer and their caregivers talk about future medical wishes
This project tries a web-based resilience program to help adults with advanced cancer and their family caregivers talk about future care and complete advance directives.
-
Resilience and Black families: Understanding autism disparities
A study with Black families of autistic children (ages 3–9) in NC and PA will look at how parental mental health and social factors relate to child development and behavior.
-
Heart failure caregiver support program HEROIC for advanced disease
A caregiver-focused program of 5 nurse-led sessions over 10 weeks delivered by video to help families manage advanced heart failure and its challenges.
-
Understanding factors that help spousal caregivers of those with Alzheimer's cope better
This study looks at the struggles that spouses caring for loved ones with Alzheimer's and similar conditions face, and it aims to understand what helps some caregivers stay strong and healthy despite the challenges, so we can support them better.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.