And Still I Rise: Resilience Factors Contributing to Posttraumatic Growth in African American Women

Understanding the impact of trauma and resilience has long been of interest to mental health professionals everywhere. However, what is missing in the literature is the unique standpoint of African American women who are often trapped in a traumatic cycle of poverty and intimate partner violence (IP...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of black psychology 2021-03, Vol.47 (2-3), p.151-176
Main Authors: Mushonga, Dawnsha R., Rasheem, Shvilla, Anderson, Darlene
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
African Americans
Attention
Disadvantaged
Domestic violence
Females
Gratitude
Intimate partner violence
Medical personnel
Mental health
Mental health professionals
Mothers
Post-traumatic growth
Poverty
Qualitative research
Resilience
Selective attention
Semi Structured Interviews
Social development
Solitude
Spirituality
Survivor
Trauma
Traumatic life events
Women
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Summary:Understanding the impact of trauma and resilience has long been of interest to mental health professionals everywhere. However, what is missing in the literature is the unique standpoint of African American women who are often trapped in a traumatic cycle of poverty and intimate partner violence (IPV). Therefore, the purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the lived experiences of African American women surviving IPV and examine resilience factors that may contribute to the development of posttraumatic growth (PTG). Semistructured interviews were conducted with eight African American women survivors of IPV. Thematic analysis revealed six themes that were relative to the development of PTG: spirituality, motherhood, gratitude, prudence, solitude, and selective attention. The emergent themes in this study present the counter narrative of African American women who see both adaptive and maladaptive mechanisms as viable contributors of PTG. This study informs practitioners about various strategies used by economically disadvantaged African American women survivors that may contribute to PTG following traumatic experiences, such as IPV.
ISSN:0095-7984
1552-4558
DOI:10.1177/0095798420979805