Term of Award
Fall 2024
Degree Name
Doctor of Public Health in Community Health Behavior and Education (Dr.P.H.)
Document Type and Release Option
Dissertation (open access)
Copyright Statement / License for Reuse
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Department
College of Public Health
Committee Chair
Tilicia Mayo-Gamble
Committee Member 1
Raymona Lawrence
Committee Member 2
Bettye Apenteng
Abstract
Society views the strength of Black women as commendable as it shows positive qualities such as resilience and perseverance. While these traits are characterized as positive, Black women’s survival in American society has heavily depended on their strength, resulting in mental health illnesses such as anxiety and depression. The idea that Black women must exude strength and fortitude through adversity is labeled the Strong Black Woman Schema (SBWS). The SBWS is a race-gender schema that prescribes culturally-specific feminine expectations for Black women.
There are limited culturally-tailored resources for Black women to address mental health at collegiate institutions. As a result of limited mental health resources and support, some Black women have begun to turn to social media to find mental health resources and community.
This study aimed to shed light on Black women's unique mental health experiences, gain insight into how and why Black women in academic settings are using social media for mental health resources, and to provide recommendations on how collegiate institutions can support Black women at risk for developing mental health illnesses.
This study uses the Biopsychosocial model to explore factors related to the SBWS that lead Black women to use social media (TikTok) as a tool for mental health resources and community. This model provides a comprehensive framework for analyzing the schema’s impact on the mental health of Black women, highlighting the complicated relationship between biological, psychological, and social factors.
OCLC Number
1478273648
Catalog Permalink
https://galileo-georgiasouthern.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01GALI_GASOUTH/1r4bu70/alma9916599549002950
Recommended Citation
Chikawa, Muchaneta N.M., "Beyond The Strong Black Woman: Navigating Resilience and Mental Health Using Social Media for Culturally Tailored Resources" (2024). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 2860.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/2860
Research Data and Supplementary Material
No
