GLOSSARY

EVERYDAY DISCRIMINATION is the scientific measurement of a person’s life experience of daily discrimination.

The EVERYDAY DISCRIMINATION SCALE was developed by David R Williams, PhD in 1997 and has been used in over 100 scientific research studies.

As described by Heather Hall, MD, the experience of DISCRIMINATION can result in a “double dose” of TRAUMA for excluded persons; The concept of DOUBLE DOSE helps us appreciate that in addition to possible personal or family adversity (such as physical abuse or growing up with a parent with substance abuse), persons who experience day-in/day-out Everyday Discrimination have a greater amount of CUMULATIVE TRAUMA - and therefore more impact on health.

EVERYDAY DISCRIMIATION is a COMPLEX TRAUMA (severe in intensity and chronic in duration).  High rates of experience of EVERYDAY DISCRIMINATION have been shown to correlate with incidence of many serious diseases including hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, cancer and maternal mortality.