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The Giscombe Superwoman Schema Questionnaire: Psychometric Properties and Associations with Mental Health and Health Behaviors in African American Women
Open accessAbstract
The purpose of this research was to examine the psychometric properties of the Giscombe Superwoman Schema Questionnaire. Three separate studies conducted with 739 African American women provided preliminary evidence that the Questionnaire's factor structure aligns with the Superwoman Schema Conceptual Framework and has good reliability. In addition, it is positively associated with perceived stress, depressive symptoms, using food to cope with stress, poor sleep quality, and physical inactivity. This study provides preliminary evidence to suggest that the Giscombe Superwoman Schema Questionnaire is psychometrically sound; Superwoman Schema is associated with health behaviors and psychological states that may increase risk for illness.
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“Woods- Giscombe et al. (2019) found that all five SWS subscales had the same directional relationships with psychological health outcomes: positive associations with perceived social stress and depressive symptoms and negative associations with poor sleep quality.”
From Superwoman Schema and John Henryism among African American women: An intersectional perspective on coping with racism (2023) · cites this paper as Woods-Giscombe et al. (2019)
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“The 35-item Giscombe SWS Questionnaire has been previously validated in a sample of African American women to assess the following five SWS dimensions”
From Superwoman Schema and John Henryism among African American women: An intersectional perspective on coping with racism (2023) · cites this paper as Woods-Giscombe et al., 2019
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“One recent study found a positive association between SWS and perceived stress, depressive symptoms, using food to cope with stress, and poor sleep quality (Allen et al., 2019a(Allen et al., , 2019b;;Woods-Giscombe et al., 2019).”
From Superwoman Schema and John Henryism among African American women: An intersectional perspective on coping with racism (2023) · cites this paper as Woods-Giscombe et al., 2019
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“It may be used to assess associations with various other social determinants of health, including psychological stress and health behaviors, and eventually health outcomes among African American women (Woods-Giscombe, 2010).”
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Cited by
Sorted by citations
Allen, A. M., Wang, Y., Chae, D. H., Price, M. M., Powell, W. A., Steed, T. C., Black, A. R., Dhabhar, F. S., Márquez-Magaña, L. M., & Woods‐Giscombé, C. L. (2019) · Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1111/nyas.14188 · Cited by 211
“116 Additionally, to test an alternative hypothesis also supported by the literature, we assessed whether the SWS may operate as a mediator rather than a moderator of the association between racial discrimination and allostatic load.”
Self-citationPerez, A. D., Dufault, S. M., Spears, E. C., Chae, D. H., Woods-Giscombe, C. L., & Allen, A. M. (2023) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.115070 · Cited by 76
Self-citationNelson, T., Cardemil, E. V., Overstreet, N. M., Hunter, C. D., & Woods‐Giscombé, C. L. (2022) · Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology · doi:10.1037/cdp0000533 · Cited by 69
“…with stress (Woods-Giscombé et al., 2019), elevated levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms (Watson & Hunter, 2015; Woods-Giscombé et al., 2019), physical inactivity and impaired sleep quality (Woods-Giscombé et al., 2019), and psychological distress (Shahid et al., 2018; Watson-Singleton, 2017).”
BackgroundMethodResultInfluential25 years of psychology research on the “strong black woman”
Thomas, Z., Banks, J., Eaton, A., & Ward, L. M. (2022) · Social & Personality Psychology Compass · doi:10.1111/spc3.12705 · Cited by 50
“Such a scale was recently published by Woods-Giscombé et al. (2019), measuring obligations to appear strong, suppress emotions, help others, resist vulnerability, and possess an intense motivation to succeed.”
Black Women at War: A Comprehensive Framework for Research on the Strong Black Woman
Davis, S. M., & Jones, M. K. (2021) · Women s Studies in Communication · doi:10.1080/07491409.2020.1838020 · Cited by 63
“For many Black women, strength means being self-reliant and independent, caring for others (often at the expense of one’s own self-care), and silencing one’s emotions even when faced with mistreatment (Abrams, Maxwell, Pope, & Belgrave, 2014; BeauboeufLafontant, 2009; Harris-Perry, 2011; Nelson, Cardemil, & Adeoye, 20…”
BackgroundInfluentialMissing the Mark: The Complexity of African American Dementia Family Caregiving
Brewster, G. S., Johnson, K. B., McLennon, S. M., Moss, K. O., Epps, F. R., & Lopez, R. P. (2020) · Journal of Family Nursing · doi:10.1177/1074840720945329 · Cited by 49
Knighton, J.-S., Dogan, J., Hargons, C., & Stevens-Watkins, D. (2022) · Ethnicity & Health · doi:10.1080/13557858.2020.1818695 · Cited by 38
“However, a recent study suggests endorsement of the Superwoman Schema can result in adverse psychological outcomes (Liao, Wei, and Yin 2019).”
BackgroundInfluentialLeath, S. C., Jones, M. K., & Butler-Barnes, S. T. (2021) · Journal of Trauma & Dissociation · doi:10.1080/15299732.2021.1989113 · Cited by 36
“To assess Black women’s endorsement of the sociocultural script of resilience and self-efficacy (i.e., Superwoman Schema; Woods-Giscombé et al., 2019), we examined the five subscales of the Superwoman Schema: (a) obligation to present an image of strength, (b) obligation to help and prioritize care…”
BackgroundResultInfluentialVicarious Experiences of Major Discrimination and Psychological Distress among Black Men and Women
Moody, M. D., Tobin, C. S. T., & Erving, C. L. (2022) · Society and Mental Health · doi:10.1177/21568693221116631 · Cited by 44
“The actualization of strength entails tending to the needs of others, often to the neglect of one’s own personal needs; moreover, the obligation to help others at one’s own experience is linked to psychological distress among Black women (Woods-Giscombé et al. 2019).”
BackgroundThe construction of racial stereotypes and how they serve as racial propaganda
Melson-Silimon, A. T., Spivey, B. N., & Skinner, A. L. (2023) · Social and Personality Psychology Compass · doi:10.1111/spc3.12862 · Cited by 45
Oguamanam, V., Hernandez, N., Chandler, R. D., Guillaume, D., Mckeever, K., Allen, M., Mohammed, S., & Parker, A. G. (2023) · International Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3544548.3581475 · Cited by 32
“The SWS framework questionnaire consists of five subscales: Obligation to Present an Image of Strength, Obligation to Suppress Emotions, Resistance to Being Vulnerable, Intense Motivation to Succeed, and Obligation to Help Others [118].”
InfluentialBlack women’s mental health matters: Theoretical perspectives and future directions
Erving, C. L., Patterson, E. J., & Boone, J. (2021) · Sociology Compass · doi:10.1111/soc4.12919 · Cited by 44
Moody, A. T., Lewis, J. A., & Owens, G. P. (2022) · Psychology of Women Quarterly · doi:10.1177/03616843221143752 · Cited by 45
“Woods-Giscombé et al. (2019) developed the Giscombé Superwoman Schema Questionnaire (SWS) and found that greater internalization was related to greater perceived stress, depressive symptoms, and eating as a stress coping mechanism, as well as related to poor sleep quality and physical inactivity.”
BackgroundVolpe, V. V., Ross, J. M., Collins, A. N., Spivey, B. N., Watson‐Singleton, N. N., Goode, R. W., Hoggard, L. S., & Giscombé, C. L. W. (2023) · Psychology of Women Quarterly · doi:10.1177/03616843231182913 · Cited by 37
“For instance, the superwoman schema has been associated with longer telomeres (i.e., biomarker of cellular ageing associated with chronic stress; Thomas et al., 2022), worse sleep quality, and less physical activity (Woods Giscombé et al., 2019).”
BackgroundMethodInfluentialA scoping review of the concept of resilience among African American women
Woods‐Giscombé, C. L., Williams, K. P., Conklin, J., Dodd, A., Bravo, L., Anderson, A. M., Frazier, T. A., Bey, G., Robinson, M. N., Warren, B. J., et al. (2023) · Archives of Psychiatric Nursing · doi:10.1016/j.apnu.2023.04.008 · Cited by 37
Superwoman Schema and self-rated health in black women: Is socioeconomic status a moderator?
Erving, C. L., McKinnon, I. I., Dyke, M. E. V., Murden, R., Udaipuria, S., Vaccarino, V., Moore, R. H., Booker, B., & Lewis, T. T. (2023) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.116445 · Cited by 32
Platt, L. F., & Fanning, S. C. (2022) · Journal of Black Psychology · doi:10.1177/00957984221096211 · Cited by 27
“Additionally, Donovan and West (2015) found SBW embodiment predicted endorsement of stress and Woods-Giscombé et al. (2019) found a significant link between SBW embodiment and perceived stress, as well as other health outcomes.”
BackgroundMethodInfluentialSpringfield, S., Qin, F., Hedlin, H., Eaton, C. B., Rosal, M. C., Taylor, H. A., Staudinger, U. M., & Stefanick, M. L. (2020) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu12072107 · Cited by 34
“While maintaining the “Superwoman” identity has been viewed as an asset that has contributed to the resilience of Black women, it has also been linked to decreased emotional support, increased psychological stress and depressive symptoms as well as poor health behaviors, including poor sleep quality and sacrificing sl…”
BackgroundErving, C. L., McKinnon, I. I., Tobin, C. S. T., Dyke, M. E. V., Murden, R., Moore, R. H., Booker, B., Vaccarino, V., & Lewis, T. T. (2024) · Social Problems · doi:10.1093/socpro/spae007 · Cited by 33
The Water Surrounding the Iceberg: Cultural Racism and Health Inequities
Michaels, E. K., Lam-Hine, T., Nguyen, T. T. X., Gee, G. C., & Allen, A. M. (2023) · Milbank Quarterly · doi:10.1111/1468-0009.12662 · Cited by 56
“–111 Biologic responses include activation of the sympathetic–adrenal–medullary and hypothalamic– pituitary–adrenal axes (which together comprise the body’s primary stress response system); dysregulation of the inflammatory, immune, and cardiometabolic systems; telomere attrition; and sleep…”
BackgroundSelf-citationSuperwomen and Sleep: an Assessment of Black College Women Across the African Diaspora
McLaurin-Jones, T. L., Anderson, A. S., Marshall, V. J., Lashley, M.-B., & Carter-Nolan, P. L. (2020) · International Journal of Behavioral Medicine · doi:10.1007/s12529-020-09930-4 · Cited by 31
The unique contribution of gendered racial stress to depressive symptoms among pregnant Black women
Clarke, L. S., Riley, H. E. M., Corwin, E. J., Dunlop, A. L., & HOGUE, C. J. R. (2022) · Women s Health · doi:10.1177/17455057221104657 · Cited by 21
Watson‐Singleton, N. N., Spivey, B. N., Harrison, E., Nelson, T., & Lewis, J. A. (2024) · Sex Roles · doi:10.1007/s11199-024-01503-z · Cited by 21
“Regarding physical health, nascent research has shown a connection between the SBW schema and poor sleep quality and physical inactivity (Woods-Giscombe et al., 2019 ).”
InfluentialMccall, T., Threats, M., Pillai, M., Lakdawala, A., & Bolton, C. S. (2022) · Frontiers in Digital Health · doi:10.3389/fdgth.2022.1028408 · Cited by 20
Superwoman Schema, Racial Identity, and Cellular Aging Among African American Women
Thomas, M. D., Mendez, R., Zhang, Y., Wang, Y., Sohail, S., Chae, D. H., Márquez-Magaña, L. M., Sellers, R. M., Woods‐Giscombé, C. L., & Allen, A. M. (2022) · The Gerontologist · doi:10.1093/geront/gnac005 · Cited by 30
“Superwoman Schema (SWS) is a multidimensional framework for understanding culture-specific stress responses that have been validated for African American women (Woods-Giscombe et al., 2019).”
BackgroundMethodInfluentialSelf-citationPerceptions of Superwoman Schema and Stress Among African American Women with Pre-Diabetes
Sheffield-Abdullah, K., & Woods-Giscombé, C. L. (2020) · Archives of Psychiatric Nursing · doi:10.1016/j.apnu.2020.09.011 · Cited by 20
Cousin, L., Johnson-Mallard, V., & Booker, S. (2022) · ANS. Advances in nursing science · doi:10.1097/ans.0000000000000416 · Cited by 18
Using Black Feminist Theory and Methods to Uncover Best Practices in Health Promotion Programming
Wade, J., Alexander, R., Giscombé, C. L. W., Keegan, D., Parker, S., Jackson, K., Gibbs, J., McElroy, A., & Ferguson, J. (2021) · Qualitative Health Research · doi:10.1177/10497323211061108 · Cited by 30
“The act of conveying strength may be detrimental to their health in the context of suppressing their emotions, resisting displays of vulnerability, and prioritizing care for others over self-care (Woods-Giscombé et al., 2019).”
BackgroundAririguzo, C., Spencer, B., & Freysteinson, W. M. (2021) · Journal of Women & Aging · doi:10.1080/08952841.2021.1915095 · Cited by 16
“These Superwoman characteristics jeopardize the emotional and physical well-being of African American women as they endure life’s challenges, increasing their risks for poor health outcomes (Woods-Giscombe et al., 2019).”
BackgroundDogan, J. N., Thorpe, S. Y., Malone, N. J., Jester, J. K., Stevens-Watkins, D. J., & Hargons, C. N. (2022) · Culture Health & Sexuality · doi:10.1080/13691058.2022.2072956 · Cited by 20
“…Black women have been historically and culturally socialised to fulfil a Superwoman role by suppressing emotions, displaying strength, resisting vulnerability, succeeding despite limited resources, and caregiving at the expense of self-care to overcome life stressors (Woods-Giscombe et al. 2019).”
BackgroundResultInfluentialThe association between Superwoman schema and subjective sleep quality among Black women
Erving, C. L., Zajdel, R. A., Blevins, K. M., Fields, N. D., Martin, Z. T., McKinnon, I. I., Parker, R., Murden, R., Udaipuria, S., Swanson, S., et al. (2024) · Sleep Health · doi:10.1016/j.sleh.2023.12.008 · Cited by 18
Nelson, T., & Cherry, M. (2024) · Journal of Black Psychology · doi:10.1177/00957984241284985 · Cited by 18
“Conversely, an obligation to suppress emotions, resistance to vulnerability, and an obligation to help others have been associated with negative outcomes (Leath et al., 2022; Nelson et al., 2024a; Perez et al., 2023; Woods-Giscomb´e et al., 2019).”
InfluentialVolpe, V., Collins, A., Ross, J. M., Ellis, K. R., Lewis, J. A., Ladd, B. A., & Fitzpatrick, S. L. (2024) · Annals of Behavioral Medicine · doi:10.1093/abm/kaae017 · Cited by 13
Responding to structural inequities: Coping strategies among immigrant women during COVID-19
Abularrage, T. F., Wurtz, H. M., & Samari, G. (2023) · SSM - Mental Health · doi:10.1016/j.ssmmh.2023.100293 · Cited by 13
Mccall, T., Foster, M., Tomlin, H. R., & Schwartz, T. (2023) · JAMIA Open · doi:10.1093/jamiaopen/ooad088 · Cited by 11
Lewis, J. A., & Williams, M. G. (2023) · Women & Therapy · doi:10.1080/02703149.2023.2275934 · Cited by 20
Harris, C., Goldman, B., Gurkas, P., Butler, C., & Bookman, P. (2022) · Journal of Health Psychology · doi:10.1177/13591053211068974 · Cited by 11
“Such strength-based schemas have been associated with anxiety and depression, sleep disturbance, delays in self-care, reduced help-seeking behavior, and dysregulated eating in Black women (Abrams et al., 2019; Black and WoodsGiscombé, 2012; Harrington et al., 2010; Watson and Hunter, 2015; Woods-Giscombe et al., 2019).”
BackgroundExamining the Intergenerational Transmission of the Strong Black Woman Narrative
Lee, A. T., & Haskins, N. (2025) · Family Process · doi:10.1111/famp.70008 · Cited by 14
Robinson-Lane, S. G., Johnson, F. U., Tuyisenge, M., Jackson, J., Qurashi, T., Tripathi, P., & Giordani, B. (2024) · Journal of Family Nursing · doi:10.1177/10748407241288606 · Cited by 10
Vance, M. M., Wade, J., Gowdy, G., & Dillon, H. (2024) · Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities · doi:10.1007/s40615-024-02076-z · Cited by 11
“The SBW script [34, 36, 41] and frequency of gendered racist experiences are also associated with increased anxiety symptoms [35], highlighting the impact of daily acute and chronic stress from gendered racism [35, 42].”
Kyalwazi, A. N., Woods-Giscombé, C. L., Johnson, M. P., Jones, C., Hayes, S., Cooper, L. A., Patten, C. A., & Brewer, L. C. (2024) · Annals of Behavioral Medicine · doi:10.1093/abm/kaae047 · Cited by 9
Erving, C. L., Frazier, C. G., & Davidson-Turner, K. (2024) · Women s Health · doi:10.1177/17455057241274923 · Cited by 11
“22 In developing the framework, Woods-Giscombe and colleagues 22 identified five distinct, but related dimensions of SWS: obligation to present an image of strength, obligation to suppress emotions, resistance to vulnerability, intense motivation to succeed despite limited resources, and an…”
BackgroundInfluentialMayer, S. E., Guan, J., Lin, J., Hamlat, E. J., Parker, J. E., Brownell, K., Price, C. A., Mujahid, M. S., Tomiyama, A. J., Slavich, G. M., et al. (2022) · Psychological Medicine · doi:10.1017/s0033291722003397 · Cited by 11
Erving, C. L. (2021) · Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology · doi:10.1007/s00127-021-02096-8 · Cited by 9
“This framework includes nuanced measures that address challenges specific to the experiences of Black women including the obligation to help others at the expense of self-care and to present an image of strength [43].”
BackgroundNelson, T., Gebretensay, S. B., Sellers, A. M., & Moreno, O. (2024) · Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities · doi:10.1007/s40615-024-02075-0 · Cited by 13
“We agree and contend that researchers investigating the help-seeking process among Black college women include measures of SWS [22].”
InfluentialMartin, Z. T., Al‐daas, I. O., Cardenas, N., Kolade, J. O., Merlau, E. R., Vu, J. K., Brown, K. K., & Brothers, R. M. (2023) · Hypertension · doi:10.1161/hypertensionaha.123.21230 · Cited by 15
“29,31 John Henryism is a high-effort coping technique used to overcome life’s obstacles in the face of limited resources 31–34 and has been associated with several detrimental health outcomes, 31,35,36 although there are exceptions (eg, 37,38 ).”
BackgroundMethodInfluentialDenyse, T., Martin, K. J., Kim, J. H. J., Pageot, Y. K., Owoyemi, P., deLuz, K. D., & Stanton, A. (2023) · Annals of Behavioral Medicine · doi:10.1093/abm/kaad029 · Cited by 8
Carr, L. T. B., Samuel-Hodge, C., & Tate, D. (2022) · American Journal of Health Promotion · doi:10.1177/08901171221092389 · Cited by 8
“The postponement or neglect of self-care has yielded maladaptive coping strategies observed in abnormal eating habits (overeating, emotional, and binge eating) and physical inactivity.(14,16,18,19) In the context of a behavioral weight loss intervention, this secondary analysis examined the multi-caregiver role and it…”
BackgroundWoods-Giscombé, C. L., Lobel, M., Zimmer, C., Brooks, J., Sheffield-Abdullah, K. M., Bey, G., Bravo, L., Lackey, C., Smith, R., Frazier, T. A., et al. (2021) · Nursing Research · doi:10.1097/nnr.0000000000000532 · Cited by 8
Self-citationCarr, L. T. B., Nezami, B. T., & Leone, L. A. (2020) · Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities · doi:10.1007/s40615-020-00788-6 · Cited by 8
Cousin, L., Braithwaite, D., Anton, S. D., Zhang, Z., Lee, J., Leewenburgh, C., & Lyon, D. (2024) · BMC Psychiatry · doi:10.1186/s12888-024-06362-2 · Cited by 11
McNeil, J., Clark, K., Adams, W. M., Pickett, S., Propper, C. B., McCoy, T. P., Edwards, K. E., Exford, T., Hemphill, M. A., & Wideman, L. (2024) · BMJ Open · doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2024-087950 · Cited by 8
“…Scale 73 to determine the extent to which social desirability affects responses to self-reported measures; as well as the Giscombé Superwoman Schema in females 74 and the John Henryism Active Coping Scale in males 75 to assess coping mechanisms and effortful strength in response to stress.”
Thorpe, S. Y., Malone, N. J., Vigil, K. E., Duroseau, B., Iyiewuare, P. O., & Palomino, K. A. (2024) · Sexual & Relationship Therapy · doi:10.1080/14681994.2024.2303071 · Cited by 10
“Superwoman schema was measured using a 35-item Superwoman Schema Questionnaire (Woods-Giscombé et al., 2019) with five subscales: 1) obligation to present an image of strength (6 items; a = .81), 2) obligation to suppress emotions (7 items; a = .85), 3) resistance to being vulnerable (7 items; a = .82), 4) intense mot…”
Bravo, L., Ledford, A., Adynski, G. I., Ikharo, E., Emmanuel, C. J., Harris, L. K., Garcia, S., Rodgers, S., & Woods-Giscombé, C. L. (2023) · Issues in Mental Health Nursing · doi:10.1080/01612840.2023.2228893 · Cited by 7
“First, the study sample is predominately Black women, the self-reliance and perseverance in the face of stressors described in this study aligns with the Superwoman Schema conceptual framework (Woods-Giscombé, 2010; Woods-Giscombe et al., 2019).”
McDaniel, G., Akinwunmi, S., Brenya, V., Kidane, H., & Nydegger, L. A. (2023) · Ethnicity and Health · doi:10.1080/13557858.2023.2179570 · Cited by 8
“Substance use as a theme was observed in tandem with perceived medical and institutional racism, tenets of SWS, and aversion to help-seeking behavior.”
InfluentialBarber, L. E., Smith-Ireland, D., Enun, B., & Johnson, D. A. (2025) · Sleep Health · doi:10.1016/j.sleh.2025.02.007 · Cited by 8
Are the ways women cope with stressors related to their health behaviors over time?
Trudel-Fitzgerald, C., Smith, S. G., & Kubzansky, L. (2025) · Annals of Behavioral Medicine · doi:10.1093/abm/kaaf006 · Cited by 6
“40 They are further aligned with prior longitudinal evidence linking psychological distress and positive states/traits with reporting a healthy lifestyle over many years.”
Henry, C. J., Kelly, U. A., Dunlop, A. L., Paul, S., Chandler, R. D., Christiansen‐Lindquist, L., & Song, M. (2023) · Journal of Midwifery & Women s Health · doi:10.1111/jmwh.13576 · Cited by 6
Nelson, T., Tomi, C. L., & Gebretensay, S. B. (2023) · Women s Health Issues · doi:10.1016/j.whi.2023.05.003 · Cited by 8
Sherman, A. D. F., Cimino, A. N., Balthazar, M. S., Johnson, K. B., Burns, D. D., Verissimo, A. D. O., Campbell, J. C., Tsuyuki, K., & Stockman, J. K. (2023) · Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved · doi:10.1353/hpu.2023.0004 · Cited by 5
“68,69 Incorporating this measure, or similar comprehensive measures, in research could enhance our understanding of the effects of discrimination on the mental health of Black women.”
Pathways to maternal health inequities: Structural racism, sleep, and physiological stress
Christian, L. M., Brown, R. L., Carroll, J., Thayer, J. F., Lewis, T. T., Gillespie, S. L., & Fagundes, C. P. (2024) · Brain Behavior and Immunity · doi:10.1016/j.bbi.2024.09.037 · Cited by 5
Relationships Among Endorsement of the Superwoman Schema and Health Outcomes
Farr, A. M., Carter, J. S., & Webber‐Ritchey, K. J. (2024) · Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic & Neonatal Nursing · doi:10.1016/j.jogn.2024.07.005 · Cited by 7
Efird, C. R., Matthews, D. D., Muessig, K., Barrington, C., Metzl, J., & Lightfoot, A. (2023) · SSM - Mental Health · doi:10.1016/j.ssmmh.2023.100199 · Cited by 5
Gendered racial microaggressions, self-silencing, and disordered eating in Black women
Parker, J. E., Enders, C. K., Tomiyama, A. J., & Hunger, J. M. (2025) · Body Image · doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2025.101901 · Cited by 7
Warren, J. R., Natarajan, S., & Roess, A. (2025) · Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities · doi:10.1007/s40615-025-02324-w · Cited by 4
Central Hemodynamics in African American Women: Examining the Role of Superwoman Schema Endorsement
Martin, Z. T., Fields, N. D., Erving, C. L., Udaipuria, S., Moore, R. H., Blevins, K. M., Murden, R. J., Booker, B., Culler, L., Swanson, S., et al. (2024) · Journal of the American Heart Association : Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Disease · doi:10.1161/jaha.123.033587 · Cited by 4
Use of the Strong Black Woman Construct in Research
Henry, C. J., & Song, M. (2023) · Advances in Nursing Science · doi:10.1097/ans.0000000000000501 · Cited by 7
Black Women’s Sexual Assertiveness and Satisfaction: The Role of the Superwoman Schema
Perkins, T. R., Aleibar, D., Leath, S. C., & Pittman, J. C. (2022) · The Journal of Black Psychology · doi:10.1177/00957984221147796 · Cited by 4
“The Woods-Giscomb´e Superwoman Schema Questionnaire (Woods-Giscomb´e et al., 2019) was used to assess Black women ’ s endorsement of cultural prescriptions of strength.”
MethodLetters to My Sisters: Advice From Black Women Alumnae About How to Thrive and Survive in College
Reavis, T., Winkle-Wagner, R., Kelly, B., Luedke, C. L., & Mccallum, C. M. (2022) · Teachers College Record · doi:10.1177/01614681221096798 · Cited by 4
“The advice provided a multidimensional perspective that often countered stereotypes and pressures assumed by the Black superwoman Schema (Woods-Giscombé, 2010, 2018; Woods-Giscombé et al., 2019).”
BackgroundInfluentialGreen, D. J.-A., & Klein, N. D. (2025) · Social and Personality Psychology Compass · doi:10.1111/spc3.70097 · Cited by 3
Iheduru-Anderson, K. C., Akanegbu, C. O., & Ugorji, J. U. (2025) · SAGE Open Nursing · doi:10.1177/23779608251382659 · Cited by 10
“These were later operationalized in the Superwoman Schema Scale (Woods-Giscombe et al., 2019).”
Superwoman schema and metabolic syndrome in Black adolescent girls
Chen, E., Kim, J.-W., Law, J., Obi, V., Gallivan, S. U., & Hayen, R. (2025) · Journal of Behavioral Medicine · doi:10.1007/s10865-025-00584-9 · Cited by 2
“The Superwoman schema overall score has been associated with greater insomnia and all subscales also were associated with poorer sleep quality in Black women (McLaurin-Jones et al., 2021; Woods-Giscombe et al., 2019).”
InfluentialPerceptions matter: Physical neighborhood disadvantage and older adults’ emotional health
Frazier, C. G. (2025) · Wellbeing Space and Society · doi:10.1016/j.wss.2025.100266 · Cited by 2
Gendered Racial Identity, Positive Health Practices, and Mental Health Among Black Adult Women
Leath, S. C., Johnson, K., Regis, D. R., Onuoha, A. C., & Butler‐Barnes, S. T. (2025) · Emerging Adulthood · doi:10.1177/21676968251315202 · Cited by 2
“We used the Giscomb´e Superwoman Schema Questionnaire (G-SWS-Q; Woods-Giscomb´e et al., 2019) to assess the endorsement of Super-woman Schema instead of the fi rst sentence after Superwoman Schema endorsement.”
Blevins, K. M., Fields, N. D., Pressman, S. D., Erving, C. L., Martin, Z. T., Moore, R. H., Murden, R., Parker, R., Udaipuria, S., Booker, B., et al. (2025) · Annals of Behavioral Medicine · doi:10.1093/abm/kaaf035 · Cited by 3
A Care-Based Approach for Dismantling the Strong Black Woman Schema
Nortey, A. N., & Dowtin, L. L. (2024) · Women & Therapy · doi:10.1080/02703149.2024.2380170 · Cited by 2
“With these tensions present, Black women experience positive self-image and pride in their commitment to others while also experiencing poor self-care and interpersonal relationships as well as stress related health problems (Abrams et al., 2014; Platt & Fanning, 2023; Woods-Giscombé et al., 2019).”
InfluentialExploring Dimensions of Gendered Racial Identity Development Among Emerging Adult Black Women
Ladd, B. A., Lewis, J. A., & Choukas‐Bradley, S. (2026) · Psychology of Women Quarterly · doi:10.1177/03616843261491317 · Cited by 1
Latent Patterns of Violence and Racism on Mental Health and Coping Among Black Women
Eshelman, L. R., Bhuptani, P. H., & Salim, S. R. (2026) · Journal of Child Sexual Abuse · doi:10.1080/10538712.2026.2667226 · Cited by 1
“…minimizing their perceived vulnerability, reducing the likelihood of receiving support, and influencing sexual violence disclosure and help-seeking, and psychological distress (Crooks et al., 2019; Erving et al., 2024; Henry, 2009; Slatton & Richard, 2020; Woods-Giscombe et al., 2016, 2019, 2025).”
Cultural and psychological dimensions of the superwoman identity among Jordanian women
Issa, Y. M. A. A., & Chen, S. (2026) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1676125 · Cited by 1
Ramadurai, R., Rossy, P. K. Z., Nelson, T., & Herr, N. R. (2025) · Ethnicity and Health · doi:10.1080/13557858.2025.2600277
“…schema: (a) obligation to present an image of strength, (b) obligation to suppress emotions, (c) resistance of vulnerability or dependence on others for support, (d) motivation to succeed despite limited resources, and (e) prioritization of caregiving over self-care (Woods-Giscombe et al. 2019).”
InfluentialOrtiz, R., Joseph, J. J., Johnson, M., Moen, L., Lalika, M., Jones, C., Bancos, I., Cooper, L. A., Hayes, S., Patten, C. A., et al. (2025) · Journal of Participatory Medicine · doi:10.2196/69604 · Cited by 1
“However, the views of African American women of the SWS also reveal a common theme of the potential consequences of this form of high effort coping, inclusive of stress-related health behaviors, and stress embodiment [39].”
InfluentialDebnam, K. J., & Avery, L. R. (2025) · Journal of Social and Personal Relationships · doi:10.1177/02654075251389717 · Cited by 1
“This multidimensional conceptualization of SBW schema in intimate partnerships builds and expands upon existing conceptualizations of the SBW (e.g., Superwoman schema; Woods-Giscombe et al., 2019).”
Superwoman schema and perceived stress among Black women: a latent profile analysis
Nelson, T., Oshin, L. A., Shahid, N. N., & Ramadurai, R. (2025) · Ethnicity and Health · doi:10.1080/13557858.2025.2553185 · Cited by 2
“…Schema are associated with anxiety, depression, emotional eating, perceived stress, and poor self-rated health (Erving et al. 2024; Knighton et al. 2022; Leath, Jones, and Butler-Barnes 2022; Nelson et al. 2024a, 2024b; Platt and Fanning 2023; Volpe et al. 2024a, 2024b; Woods-Giscombe et al. 2019).”
InfluentialLau, A. S., Fung, J. J., Saleem, F. T., Arce, M. A., Du, H., & Doan, S. N. (2025) · Mental Health Science · doi:10.1002/mhs2.70011 · Cited by 1
Ponder, M., Gardner, T., & Sun, W. (2023) · The Howard Journal of Communications · doi:10.1080/10646175.2023.2191806 · Cited by 1
“Other empirical research also found lower associated psychological openness and lower help-seeking propensity among participants with greater endorsement of the SBW race-gender schema (Liao et al., 2020; Watson & Hunter, 2015; Woods-Giscombe et al., 2019).”
BackgroundMitchell, S., Woods-Giscombé, C. L., Kneipp, S., Beeber, L., & Kulbok, P. (2020) · Archives of Psychiatric Nursing · doi:10.1016/j.apnu.2020.09.015 · Cited by 1
Best, J. N., Watson-Singleton, N. N., Woods-Giscombé, C. L., & Gamarel, K. E. (2026) · Sex Roles · doi:10.1007/s11199-026-01707-5
“Accumulating research has demonstrated that the SWS/ SBW schema is associated with depressive symptoms among Black women across the lifespan (Abrams et al., 2019; Nelson et al., 2024a; Woods-Giscombé et al., 2019).”
InfluentialColson‐Fearon, B., & Versey, H. S. (2026) · Societies · doi:10.3390/soc16100308
Mughal, S. A., Khan, S., Zafar, K., & Soomro, M. M. (2026) · Journal of Global Social Transformation · doi:10.71317/jgst.2.9(s3).2026.736
Varner, F. A., Giscombé, C. L. W., Martz, C. D., Chung, K. W., Jelsma, E. B., Holloway, K., Lim, S., & Chae, D. H. (2026) · Journal of Health Psychology · doi:10.1177/13591053261462456
Arce, M. A., Lazaro, Y. M., Lechuga, C., Aringer, A. S., Doan, S. N., Saleem, F. T., Fung, J. J., & Lau, A. S. (2026) · Journal of Prevention and Health Promotion · doi:10.1177/26320770261463552
“Considering this scale was originally developed for and validated with Black women (Woods-Giscombe et al., 2019), the higher reliabilities observed among Black boys and Latine boys may point to the salience of this high effort coping strategy for high achieving adolescent boys of color.”
InfluentialOliphant, V., Martinez, G., Harold, C., Broyles, D., Williams, J., Nabity, P., McGeary, D., & Stensland, M. (2026) · Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association · doi:10.1177/10783903261452627
“Interventions can also include culturally sensitive assessment by using measures that account for the superwoman schema, such as the Superwoman Schema Questionnaire (Woods-Giscombe et al., 2019), to better understand Black women’s pain experiences and endorsement of this schema and, possibly, the addition of new items…”
Porter, T. S., Carrico, S., Flores, M., Godden, M., & Draughon, J. E. (2026) · Substance Use & Misuse · doi:10.1080/10826084.2026.2633226 · Cited by 1
“…cultural response Black women have developed in navigating these conditions: an expected way of being marked by strength, emotional suppression, prioritizing others’ needs, persistence despite limited resources, and resistance to dependence (Woods-Giscombé 2010; Woods-Giscombe et al. 2019).”
Sweeney, A. M., Brockington, L., Simmons, T., Wilson, D. K., Martin, P. P., & Zarrett, N. R. (2026) · Journal of Behavioral Medicine · doi:10.1007/s10865-026-00678-y
“Prior research has demonstrated the construct validity of this scale by showing that it is positively associated with stress and depression (Woods-Giscombe et al., 2019), and distinct from other cultural constructs, such as John-Henryism (Perez et al., 2023).”
InfluentialCollins, A., & Volpe, V. V. (2026) · Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities · doi:10.1007/s40615-026-02990-4
Measuring Racial and Ethnic Socialization: Adaptation of the ARESS for Black Women
Mekawi, Y., Ware, M., Blevins, K. M., McKinnon, I. I., Erving, C. L., Parker, R., Udaipuria, S., Murden, R. J., Moore, R. H., & Lewis, T. T. (2026) · Journal of Black Studies · doi:10.1177/00219347261434294
“…Cultural Socialization messages may expose Black women to the painful events experienced by Black women throughout history, which could lead to greater need to present image of strength to protect themselves from the emotional and physical toll of gendered racism (Woods-Giscombe et al., 2019).”
Johnson, C. C., Shahid, N. N., & Nelson, T. (2026) · Journal of Interpersonal Violence · doi:10.1177/08862605261419752
Neal, M. O., Quinn, K. G., Palatnik, A., Marion, E., Kershaw, K. N., Lagatta, J. M., Walsh, J. L., & Beyer, K. M. M. (2026) · Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities · doi:10.1007/s40615-025-02620-5
Spivey, B. N., Watson‐Singleton, N. N., Lavner, J. A., Brownlow, B. N., & Lewis, J. A. (2026) · Sex Roles · doi:10.1007/s11199-026-01640-7
“…and often feel pressure to put on their “armor” in efforts to survive the perils associated with their mar - ginalized identities at the intersection of race and gender (Beauboeuf-Lafontant, 2007; Black & Woods-Giscombé, 2012; Jones et al.2020; Woods-Giscombé, 2010; Woods-Giscombé et al., 2019).”
Jelsma, E. B., & Varner, F. A. (2026) · Journal of Family Issues · doi:10.1177/0192513x261419151
“emerge in Black American women in response to the stressors and expectations they experience because of racism and sexism in the United States (Woods-Giscomb´e, 2010; Woods-Giscomb´e et al., 2019).”
Metadata
- Authors
- Woods-Giscombe, C. L., Allen, A. M., Black, A. R., Steed, T. C., Li, Y., & Lackey, C.
- Affiliations
- School of Nursing, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA;
- University of California, Berkeley (US)
- University of Wisconsin–Madison (US)
- University of North Carolina at Greensboro (US)
- Emory University (US)
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (US)
- Venue
- Issues in Mental Health Nursing
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2019-05-13
- Volume
- 40
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 672-681
- ISSN
- 0161-2840 (ISSN-L)
- 1096-4673
- PMC
- PMC7220093
- OpenAlex
- W2945353172
- Cited by
- 120
- References
- 62
- Citations by year
- 2026: 17 · 2025: 23 · 2024: 25 · 2023: 24 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 1
- FWCI
- 5.55
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Issues in Mental Health Nursing (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Carolina Digital Repository (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) (submittedVersion)
- UNC Libraries
- Funders
- National Institute of Nursing Research and the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institutes of Health (NR03443)
- National Institute of Nursing Research, National Institutes of Health (T32NR007091)
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Minority Fellowship Program at the American Nurses Association
- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars Program
- Josiah Macy Foundation
- University of California, Berkeley (UCB) Hellman Fund
- USA
- UCB Population Center, USA
- UCB Research Bridging Grant, USA
- UCB Experimental Social Science Laboratory, USA
- Robert Wood Johnson Health and Society Scholars Program (UCB site), USA
- UC Center for New Racial Studies, USA
- UCB Institute for the Study of Societal Issues, USA
- NIMHD grant (P60MD006902)
- NIH-funded career development award, Building Interdisciplinary Careers in Women's Health (K12HD055892 NICHD/ORWH/NIH)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Management Science and Operations Research › Psychometric Methodologies and Testing
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Eating Disorders and Behaviors
- Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Gender Roles and Identity Studies
- Keywords
- Superwoman Schema, African American women, psychometric properties, factor structure, perceived stress, depressive symptoms, sleep quality, physical inactivity, health behavior, mental health
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Psychological, Adult, Black or African American, Depression, Female, Humans, Mental Health, Middle Aged, Psychometrics, Surveys and Questionnaires, Sleep, Stress, Psychological, Reproducibility of Results, Health Behavior, Exercise, Focus Groups
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