Danielle Hairston facts for kids

Danielle Hairston is an American doctor who specializes in psychiatry. She helps people with their mental health. Dr. Hairston works at Howard University College of Medicine. There, she leads the training program for new psychiatry doctors. She also helps patients at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Hairston is a leader in groups like the Black Psychiatrists of America. She also leads the Black Caucus of the American Psychiatric Association.

Early Life and Education

Danielle Hairston was born near Washington, D.C.. Her dad was in the military, and her mom was a teacher. Before going to college, she decided she wanted to become a doctor.

She studied Biological Sciences at Rutgers University in New Jersey. After that, she went to medical school at Howard University College of Medicine. During medical school, she became very interested in psychiatry. This is the field of medicine that focuses on mental health. In 2012, she started her special training in psychiatry at Howard University. She even became the Chief Resident, which means she was a top leader for the other doctors in training.

Career and Important Work

After her training, Dr. Hairston joined the team at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. She continued her special training in a field called Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry. This area focuses on how mental health connects with other health problems.

In 2018, she returned to Howard University College of Medicine. She became the Director of Psychiatry Residency Training. This means she helps guide and teach new doctors who are learning to be psychiatrists. She also works as a psychiatrist at the University of Maryland Medical Center. She helps people with general mental health issues and problems where mental health affects physical health.

Since 2016, Dr. Hairston has been a leader for the Black Psychiatrists of America. She also became the President of the Black Caucus of the American Psychiatric Association. She started a program to connect mental health experts with faith groups. This helps more people get the mental health support they need.

Supporting Black Doctors

Dr. Hairston is a strong supporter of Black doctors. She was one of ten Black doctors who spoke out about challenges they face. This was part of a campaign called #SharetheMicNowMed. In an interview, she shared her own experience. A white colleague once thought she was a patient's caregiver, not a doctor. Dr. Hairston explained that this was likely due to unconscious bias.

Media and Mental Health

Dr. Hairston's work often focuses on how racism affects mental health. She has talked about how seeing upsetting videos or pictures of police brutality can be very traumatic. This can lead to serious mental health problems for Black people. She and her colleagues want to change how mental health conditions are described. They believe that media-based trauma should be included. This would help doctors better understand the severe trauma that Black people often experience.

She has helped patients who have suffered from this type of trauma. She works to raise awareness that these experiences can lead to depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Dr. Hairston also uses social media to teach people how to support victims of racial trauma.

Writing and Publications

In 2018, Dr. Hairston helped write a book called Racism and Psychiatry: Contemporary Issues and Interventions. She wrote about the history of racism in medicine and psychiatry. She also discussed how doctors' thoughts and actions can affect the health of Black patients.

Der Spiegel, a German news magazine, quoted Dr. Hairston. She spoke about the impact that violent images can have on people.

Awards and Recognition

• 2020 Lifetime Power of Women Honoree
• 2020 Top 12 Women in White Coats Hero
• 2019 Harvard-Macy Award