Skip to main content
ABCT 2024 58th Annual Convention Main banner
Psychology Tools Ad
Final Program


Icon Legend
This session is not in your schedule.
This session is in your schedule. Click again to remove it.
Presentation Icons
Recorded Session
Recorded Session
Ticketed Session
Ticketed Session
Back
ViewAttendees 3

Symposia

Culture / Ethnicity / Race

Strength in Black Womanhood: Implications of Strong Black Woman Schema for Mental Health and Clinical Practice

2 - (SYM 96) Super Strength: Associations Between Messages of Strength, Strong Black Woman Endorsement, and Mental Health

Saturday, November 16, 2024
2:30 PM – 4:00 PM EST
Location: Franklin Hall 10, Level 4, Downtown Marriott
Abstract Body
Throughout development, Black girls receive socialization messages from family members, peers, and society about what it means to be Black, a girl, and a Black girl. One such message may be the importance of strength and vulnerability (Strong Black Woman Schema), which may be communicated to insulate Black girls from the harmful effects of stereotypes and oppression. However, there are mental health costs associated with endorsing the Strong Black Woman (SBW) schema. Thus, this study examines associations between SBW socialization messages from mothers and girl friends and SBW endorsement, and also tests associations between SBW endorsement and mental health outcomes (i.e., depression, anxiety, and hostility). As expected, Black women ages 18-39 (N = 554) who received more SBW socialization messages from mothers and girl friends in childhood and adolescence (between 5-18 years) endorsed the SBW schema more strongly. SBW endorsement was also positively associated with greater depressive, anxiety, and hostility symptoms. Findings from this study advance understanding of the contributions of early SBW socialization experiences to later developmental outcomes.