A challenge to getting a valid measure of discrimination via self-report is that some individuals cope with stress by denying its occurrence. Studies reveal that among patients with cancer, four to 47% deny the diagnosis, 8–70% deny the impact and 18–42% deny affect (Vos and de Haes 2007). Related constructs include avoidance, distancing, suppression and repressive coping. Denial can reflect conscious or unconscious efforts to minimize the pain of negative experiences. It has been argued that the emotional pain of racism can render some individuals unable to recall specific events (Carter 2007). Vos and de Haes (2007) suggest that denial should be viewed not as a one-time event, but as a process in which there is a continuum from facts to ambiguous events. Accordingly, denial can be a passive escape strategy linked to poorer psychological function, or it can be part of a series of active distractive strategies that are adaptive and lead to lower levels of psychological distress. Getting a clearer sense of the levels and consequences of denial in research on discrimination should be a priority for future research.
