Mapping Interventions Addressing the Strong Black Woman Stigma: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Learning Objectives

1. Recognize the key traits of the Strong Black Woman Stigma (SBWS) and its impact on mental health among Black women.
2. Assess how current mental health interventions include SBWS and culturally tailored approaches to tackling anxiety and depression.
3. Use these insights to guide the creation of culturally sensitive, SBWS-informed mental health programs and social work strategies.

Background and Purpose

Black women face disproportionately high rates of anxiety and depression (Donovan & West, 2015; Watson-Singleton, 2017; Lui & Zamboanga, 2018; Abrams et al., 2019; Hall et al., 2021). Nonetheless, mental health treatments rarely consider the Strong Black Woman Stigma (SBWS), a culturally specific concept involving internalized expectations of strength, emotional restraint, and independence that influence coping mechanisms and help-seeking. While Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is commonly employed for anxiety and depression (Neal et al., 2011; Hoffmann et al., 2014), few programs explicitly incorporate SBWS. This scoping review explores mental health interventions targeting SBWS-related outcomes and highlights gaps in cultural appropriateness and in intervention development.

Methods

Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, a comprehensive search was conducted across five databases: APA PsycINFO, Academic Search Complete, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, SocINDEX, and Medline to identify peer-reviewed studies published between 2010 and 2024. The selected studies focused on Black or African American adult women and examined interventions related to anxiety and/or depression associated with SBWS or similar concepts. The initial search retrieved 162 records; after screening for eligibility based on the specified criteria, 9 studies were included in the final review. Data extraction encompassed intervention type, theoretical approach, cultural integration, and methodological quality, assessed using the Methodological Quality Rating Scale (MQRS).

Results

Most studies (6 of 9) used CBT-based interventions; however, the majority of studies prioritized symptom reduction without explicitly addressing SBWS or its underlying cultural mechanisms. Only three studies employed culturally grounded approaches that addressed racialized gender stress, identity-related factors, or collective healing processes. These culturally relevant interventions consistently enhanced mental health outcomes and were more closely aligned with participants' lived experiences. Methodological rigor was moderate across the studies (median MQRS = 4), with significant variation in study design, sample size, and follow-up procedures.

Conclusions and Implications

Findings identify a significant gap in SBWS-focused intervention strategies, emphasizing the need to shift from solely symptom-based methods to culturally rooted, theory-informed treatments. Incorporating SBWS into social work practice, such as targeted screening for internalized self-reliance and strength beliefs, could lower barriers to care and boost engagement among Black women. These results underscore the importance of prioritizing lived experiences in designing interventions and promoting equity across mental health research, practice, and policy. This review contributes to the limited literature examining culturally specific mental health interventions for Black women.