Poster #85 - Socialized Strength: The Mediating Role of SBW Endorsement on SBW Socialization & Mental Health

• In Event: Poster Session 13

Abstract

Throughout development, Black girls receive socialization messages about what it means to be Black, a girl, and a Black girl from family members, peers, and society. These messages consistently characterize Black girls as promiscuous and angry, carrying demeaning connotations (Blake & Gonzalez, 2017). Often mothers and friends communicate strength and invulnerability to insulate Black girls from the harmful effects of stereotypes and oppression (Abrams et al., 2014). However, messages of strength and invulnerability promoted to girls in childhood adversely impact mental health outcomes. Still, few studies examine the Strong Black Woman (SBW) schema through the lens of socialization (Anyiwo et al., 2021). Exploring socialization messages received before age 18 may highlight the underlying processes impacting SBW endorsement and mental health outcomes. The current study addressed this gap by examining how SBW endorsement mediates the relationship between SBW socialization and mental health outcomes (depression, anxiety, and hostility). As part of a larger study about psychosexual health, 554 Black women (Mage = 22.13, SD = 5.32) indicated which SBW socialization messages they received from their mothers and peers between the ages of 5-18 (e.g., Never let someone see you cry; Ward et al., 2017). Using the SBW Embodiment Scale, participants indicated their SBW endorsement (e.g., It is difficult to ask for help;1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree). Anxiety, depression, and hostility symptoms were assessed using subscales from the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI; Derogatis & Melisaratos, 1983). Associations between maternal and friend SBW socialization and depression were significant (b = .17, p = .023; b = .18 p = .013; respectively), but were insignificant after including SBW endorsement in the model as a mediator (b = .073, p = .27). This suggests that SBW endorsement fully mediates the association between SBW socialization and (see Figures 1 and 2). Furthermore, associations between maternal and friend SBW socialization and hostility were significant (b = .18, p = .001; b =.17 p = .002; respectively) and remained significant after SBW endorsement was included in the model as a mediator (b = .14, p = .006; b =.12, p =.02 ), suggesting that SBW endorsement partially mediated the association between SBW socialization and hostility. The association between maternal SBW socialization and anxiety was significant (b =.14, p = .01). However, after SBW endorsement was included in the model as a mediator, this path was no longer significant (b = .096, p = .085), indicating that SBW endorsement fully mediated the association between SBW maternal socialization and anxiety. Friend socialization was not significantly associated with anxiety before or after SBW endorsement was included in the model (b = .16, p = .69; b = .037 p = .52; respectively). These findings indicate that socialization messages toward Black girls promoting strength and invulnerability are not directly linked to adverse mental health outcomes; instead, endorsement of SBW messages explains these outcomes. This study advances our understanding of how early socialization experiences shape later developmental outcomes. Future research should employ mixed methods to analyze the content of SBW socialization messages and their implications for Black girls.

Authors

• Jessica Pitts, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
  Presenting Author

• Rona Carter, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor