Social support and identity help explain how gendered racism harms Black women’s mental health

Black women’s experiences of gendered racism, a form of discrimination based on intersecting race and gender identities, is harmful to their mental health. Instances of gendered racism include being erased from important conversations (e.g., #MeToo), being negatively stereotyped (e.g., angry Black woman), and having aspects of one’s culture (e.g., hair and dress) be valued only when they are appropriated by others. In their recently published articleopens in new window in Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, psychologists Martinque K. Jones, Seanna Leath, and Isis H. Settles, alongside psychology graduate students Dominique Doty and Kathryn Conner, found that more frequent experiences of gendered racism are linked to a greater endorsement of depressive symptoms among Black women. The researchers advance knowledge on this topic by exploring how gendered racism may affect Black women’s mental health through social support and gendered racial identity.

Social support, or the sense that one is cared for and valued by close others, might play different roles in the relationship between Black women’s experiences of gendered racism and depression. For example, depression may be lessened for Black women who, when experiencing a stressful gendered racist event use their social support networks (i.e., engage in social support mobilization) or feel they have a stronger social support network to turn to (i.e., avail themselves of social support buffering). Alternatively, gendered racism may cause mistrust that leads Black women to retreat from their support system (i.e., experience social support deterioration).

Testing these alternative models, Jones and her colleagues found evidence for social support deterioration. Specifically, Black women’s more frequent exposure to gendered racist events was associated with less perceived social support and, in turn, greater endorsement of depressive symptoms. These findings suggest that Black women who experience this type of mistreatment may feel less psychological safety within their support networks. Furthermore, because their mistreatment targets their race and gender, they may feel safely supported only by others who share their identity and may experience similar forms of discrimination.

The researchers also examined gendered racial identity, or the importance of one’s identity as a Black woman, as a protective factor that reduces the negative mental health outcomes associated with gendered racism. They found that gendered racial identity was a buffer of social support but not of depressive symptoms. That is, Black women who experienced more gendered racism reported less social support only when they perceived their identity to be low or moderate in importance. Black women with stronger gendered racial identity may be more attuned to the realities of gendered racism. As a result, they may have stronger social support networks in place, and because of the importance of their race and gender identity, those networks may include other Black women.

Given these findings, the authors offer several recommendations for scholars and clinicians who are invested in supporting Black women’s mental health:

1. Scholars can continue to identify the mechanisms by which gendered racism harms Black women’s mental health.
2. Counselors can help Black women use their existing networks and create support networks for their clients by organizing quality support groups run by and for Black women.
3. Everyone can recognize gendered racism as a reality that has a deleterious effect on Black women’s mental health.

Note: This article is in the Social Psychology and Social Processes topic area. View more articles in the Social Psychology and Social Processes topic area.

Jones, M. K., Leath, S., Settles, I. H., Doty, D., & Conner, K. (2022). Gendered racism and depression among Black women: Examining the roles of social support and identity. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 28(1), 39–48. https://doi.org/10.1037/cdp0000486opens in new window

Martinque K. Jones, PhD, is a licensed psychologist and professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of North Texas. Her research applies an intersectional lens to the study of Black women’s identity, mental health, and counseling processes. Her work also centers on developing culturally responsive clinical interventions to support Black women’s holistic wellness.

Seanna Leath, PhD, is a professor in the Psychological and Brain Sciences Department at Washington University in St. Louis. Her lab considers variation in the family and school-based experiences of Black youth and young adults, with a particular focus on Black women and girls’ identity development and wellbeing. Many of her current projects seek to understand how social determinants of health (i.e., educational access and neighborhood contexts) have a direct and dynamic role in shaping sociocultural practices within Black families.

Isis H. Settles, PhD, is professor of psychology and Afroamerican and African Studies at the University of Michigan. Using an intersectional framework, her research focuses on the experiences (e.g., scholarly devaluation, sexual harassment) and psychological and organizational consequences of unfair treatment directed at devalued social group members (e.g., racial minorities, women). Settles’s current research examines these issues within the higher education context.

Dominique Doty, MS, is a doctoral student in the Department of Psychology at the University of North Texas. Her current research focuses on identity-based mistreatment and identity development among individuals from minoritized groups (e.g., women of color and Native American people). Clinically, her work centers on individuals with a history of trauma, particularly Veterans.

Kathryn Conner, BA, is a master’s student in counseling psychology at Texas Woman’s University and an alum of the University of North Texas. Their research interests include intersectionality, trauma, gender, sexuality, and social justice advocacy.