LAUSR

reexperiencing of traumatic events in the form of flashbacks or frightening thoughts, avoidance of thoughts and places that are reminders of the experience, difficulty sleeping, distorted feelings of guilt and shame, and depression. 6 Participants described feeling unsafe in places that are meant to promote their health and well-being, suggesting that a critical evaluation of the health care system’s role in perpetuating traumatic experiences is needed. Findings from this study highlight a potential mechanism for how trauma and racism is associated with racial disparities in kidney disease and health in general. Encounters with racism triggered a trauma-like response resulting in avoidance of health care and the occurrence of symptoms associated with chronic stress. For people with CKD, these responses could translate into inadequately controlled comorbidities and faster progression to kidney failure. Racism could also make interventions intended to narrow disparities less successful. For