Our hope for this issue of Please See Me is to share narratives that will move our readers to access and examine some of their deepest personal assumptions and motivate them to act on their highest and best human impulses. To understand that they are not alone, but can face and combat bias in any form as part of a united community.

The theme of this issue is Bias, and a bias may be favorable or unfavorable: bias in favor of, or against, something. Sometimes the effects of bias against an individual or a group may be subtle and almost invisible in the moment; at other times the effect is immediately apparent. The two aspects of bias can happen simultaneously, with great ensuing harm, as when a pregnant Black woman in an emergency room is bypassed and her fellow patient is seen before her even though the Black woman is next in line and in obvious distress, as powerfully dramatized in Samantha Guzman’s “Fighting for Life” in this issue. The health professionals serving such a patient may not even be aware that they have a bias; their actions may be motivated by assumptions and prejudices so deeply buried that they would be shocked to have them pointed out.

 

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It’s the view of an optimist, to be sure, that all people need is information and time, and persistent pushback, and they will take the higher road. I do believe that most bias stems from fear and ignorance (and yes, I’m an optimist). I was fortunate to grow up in the incredibly cosmopolitan city of New York at a time when America as a melting pot was celebrated. The hopeful narrative was that our ethnic, cultural, and racial differences would simmer away, eventually creating one American “ideal citizen,” and that we would all become more or less alike and equally free.

Now, we favor the far more democratic idea of a cultural soup where individual flavors are retained and complement each other, where differences are celebrated and respected, where we don’t have to look or act alike to have the same fundamental rights. This ideal America is a country where bias has no place, no foothold. We are not there yet. How to get there is a subject of fierce and ongoing debate. Laws alone will not suffice; it’s the multitude of subtle instances of unconscious bias that can mean life or death in a healthcare setting. Recognizing these in oneself and others may be a lifelong process.

And make no mistake, bias is not merely an academic term. Bias in a healthcare setting is a killer. It can result in higher morbidity and mortality for all the groups it affects: the elderly, the differently abled, those whose weight, color, gender identity or ethnicity might trigger bias (unconscious or not) in the provider, from the intake clerk right up to the surgeon. The good news is that awareness is growing.

In this issue, we are proud to present six pieces of fiction that get beneath our skin. They provoke thought and inspire empathy, as good storytelling can do so well. Empathy precedes action—and in the best case, it inspires action. Read these pieces and share with friends. Keep the conversation churning. Speak up when you feel your healthcare provider is exhibiting bias. Try to educate, not attack. Be aware of—and check— your bias in your own life. It’s not easy, and it might be something you need to do ten times a day. That’s fine. It’s important work. It’s something you have the power to do.

I am thrilled and humbled to join the Please See Me editorial team this issue, and look forward to reading upcoming submissions for the Mental Health Awareness Writing Contest in March 2021. Stay tuned for details.

Warmest wishes for the coming holiday season!

Barbara Riddle is the guest fiction editor of Please See Me.

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