A womanist approach to understanding and assessing the relationship between spirituality and mental health

Abstract

Mental health is a growing concern for Black women. Issues of gender, race, and class contribute to Black women's mental health status. Over-burdened and over-extended, Black women are continuously plagued by stress. Thus, mental health for Black women is an art of self-healing, and spirituality plays a major role in the recovery of their mental health and well-being. The connection between spirituality and mental health enables Black women to remain on life's course in spite of obstacles. However, sociopolitical assessments of how spirituality functions in culturally diverse populations are seldom present in mental health research and provide little if any value to mental health issues specific to Black women. In response, a womanist research agenda is proposed to address Black women's mental health needs. A womanist research agenda is needed to contribute to the process of understanding the liberating function of spirituality in Black women's lives.