Danielle Hairston facts for kids

Danielle Hairston is an American doctor who specializes in psychiatry. This means she helps people with their mental health. She works at Howard University College of Medicine as the Director of Residency Training in the Department of Psychiatry. She also helps patients at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Hairston is also a leader in important groups like the Black Psychiatrists of America and the Black Caucus of the American Psychiatric Association.

Early Life and Education

Dr. Hairston was born near Washington, D.C.. Her dad was in the military, and her mom was a teacher. Before she went 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 in Washington, D.C. While in medical school, Dr. Hairston became very interested in psychiatry. In 2012, she began her special training in psychiatry at Howard University. She even became the Chief Resident, which means she was a leader for other doctors in training.

Career and Research

Dr. Hairston started her career at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. There, she continued her special training in a field called Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry. This area of psychiatry focuses on the mental health needs of people who are also dealing with other medical conditions.

In 2018, she returned to Howard University College of Medicine. She became the director for doctors training in psychiatry. She also helps plan what students learn in the Psychiatry Department. Dr. Hairston also works as a psychiatrist at the University of Maryland Medical Center. She helps people with general mental health issues and also those with both physical and mental health concerns.

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 in the community. This helps more people get the mental health support they need.

Helping 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 how she was once mistaken for a patient's caregiver by a white colleague. She explained that this was likely due to unconscious bias, not necessarily racism.

Media and Mental Health

Dr. Hairston's work often looks at how unfair treatment can affect mental health. She has talked about how seeing upsetting things in the media can be very difficult. This can be especially true for people who are already facing challenges. She and her colleagues want to make sure that doctors recognize this type of stress. They believe it can lead to serious mental health problems like depression or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Dr. Hairston uses social media to teach others how to support people affected by such experiences.

Writing and Publications

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

Der Spiegel, a German news magazine, has also quoted Dr. Hairston. She shared her thoughts on how powerful and sometimes upsetting images can affect people.

Awards and Honors

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