Abstract: The Power of Being Seen: Research As Intervention In Black Women’s Mental Health (Society for Social Work and Research 31st Annual Conference)

Schedule:

Sunday, January 24, 2027

Golden Gate 6 (Hilton San Francisco Union Square)

* noted as presenting author

Jocelyn Taliaferro, PhD, Professor & Interim Department Chair, Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD

Diamond Meadows, MSW, Doctoral Candidate, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN

Meredythe Galliher, BA, Master's Student, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC

Sarah Ascienzo, PhD, Associate Professor, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC

Background and Purpose:
Black women’s mental health is shaped by intersecting systems of oppression, yet research often fails to center their voices. This study examines how participation in research itself functions as a low-burden, relational intervention that affirms lived experience and promotes psychological validation.

Methods:
This study uses qualitative thematic analysis of narrative responses from 2,631 Black women participating in a national survey. Open-ended responses were analyzed using inductive coding to identify patterns related to mental health and lived experience.

Results:
Participants reported anxiety, stress, and fear alongside coping strategies such as prayer, meditation, and social support. Notably, many described the research process itself as affirming, highlighting the importance of being heard, validated, and recognized within the research space.

Conclusions and Implications:
Findings suggest that research participation can extend beyond data collection to function as an intervention. Social work research should intentionally design studies that center participant voice, validation, and relational engagement.