The Strong Black Woman Schema and Mental Health: Examining the Role of Personal Mastery

Abstract

Research has established a direct link between endorsement of the Strong Black Woman (SBW) schema and negative mental health outcomes. However, few have examined the factors that may explain this association. To address this gap in the literature, we examined personal mastery as a mediator of the relationship between endorsement of the SBW schema and negative mental health outcomes in a sample of 135 Black women. We also investigated this mediational pathway among subcomponents of the SBW schema: emotional strength, independence, and caretaking. We found that personal mastery mediated the association between endorsement of the SBW schema and negative mental health outcomes: greater endorsement of the SBW schema was associated with lower mastery, and subsequently more anxiety and depressive symptoms. We identified a similar pattern of results when testing two SBW schema subcomponents: emotional strength and caretaking. Study findings further evidence the deleterious impact of the SBW schema on Black women’s mental health, while illuminating one explanatory factor in this relationship—personal mastery. We conclude by discussing areas for future research and practice with Black women.