(PS13-56) The Strong Black Woman Schema and Suicide Risk in Black Women: Understanding the Pathways Through the IMV Model of Suicide Behavior

Current studies have demonstrated a link between the adoption of the Strong Black Woman (SBW) schema and negative psychological consequences in Black women (Castelin & White, 2022; Jones et al., 2021; Liao et al., 2019). However, understanding how this schema contributes to adverse mental health outcomes in Black women remains under-researched. The current study investigated the pathways through which suicide ideation emerges in Black women. Specifically, we explored the relationship between the Strong Black Woman Schema and suicide ideation by examining the mediated pathways outlined in the IMV model of suicidal behavior, focusing on defeat and entrapment. To participate in the study, individuals needed to self-identify as African American or Black. The participant pool consisted of 270 cisgender women who identified as African American/Black, with an average age of 34 years (SD = 9.80). The majority of the sample, 94.8%, identified as Black, while 5.2% identified as Biracial. Participants were recruited online through SONA and various social media platforms. A bivariate correlation analysis was utilized to explore the relationship between the study variables. Furthermore, a mediation analysis was conducted using Model 6 of the PROCESS Macro v4.1 (Hayes, 2022) to examine whether there was an association between the SBW schema and suicidal ideation, and if this association was mediated by the simultaneous presence of defeat and entrapment. Results from a serial multiple mediation analysis revealed that defeat and entrapment significantly mediated the relationship between the Strong Black Woman schema and suicide ideation, suggesting that the SBW schema indirectly influences suicide ideation in Black women through feelings of defeat and entrapment. These findings illuminate the complex pathways leading to suicide ideation in Black women and emphasize the importance of further research into their experiences with suicide.

Keywords: Black women, suicide, Strong Black Woman Schema, defeat, entrapment