You Have to Show Strength: An Exploration of Gender, Race, and Depression
Abstract
Investigating the possible overlap between depressed and presumably strong Black women, this article maintains that women's experiences of depression are both gendered and raced. A review of clinical and popular literatures examining Black women's experiences of depression as well as findings from an interview study with a nonclinical sample of 44 Black women suggest that the discourse of being strong may normalize a distressinducing level of selflessness and powerlessness among such women. Implications of this study include the need to consider the racially specific ways in which women are placed at risk for and experience depression.
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Beauboeuf-Lafontant (2007) identified themes of a cultural mandate of strength, self-silencing, excessive attunement to others' needs, and denial of one's own needs, along with positive aspects of showing strength.
“She uncovered several themes, including the cultural mandate of strength, self-silencing, excessive attunement to the needs of others, and denial of one’s own needs; similar to the current study, she identified positive characteristics of showing strength (e.g., enhancing success with goals, assertiveness, and moral character).”
From Superwoman Schema: African American Women’s Views on Stress, Strength, and Health (2010) · cites this paper as Beauboeuf-Lafontant, 2007
For most women in Beauboeuf-Lafontant (2007), especially those raising children or caring for loved ones, being strong contributed to selflessness, powerlessness, and self-silencing that led to psychological distress and higher depression risk.
“However, for a majority of the women (particularly those in the midst of childrearing and those who served as caretakers for their loved ones), being strong contributed to levels of selflessness, powerlessness, and self-silencing that contributed to psychological distress and heightened risk for depression (Beauboeuf-Lafontant, 2007).”
From Superwoman Schema: African American Women’s Views on Stress, Strength, and Health (2010) · cites this paper as Beauboeuf-Lafontant, 2007
Cites
On the Listening Guide: A voice-centered relational method.
Gilligan, C., Spencer, R., Weinberg, M. K., & Bertsch, T. (2003) · Qualitative research in psychology: Expanding perspectives in methodology and design. · doi:10.1037/10595-009 · Cited by 478 · see citing works
Postpartum Depression Among African-American Women
Amankwaa, L. C. (2003) · Issues in Mental Health Nursing · doi:10.1080/01612840305283 · Cited by 131 · see citing works
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Superwoman Schema: African American Women’s Views on Stress, Strength, and Health
Woods-Giscombé, C. L. (2010) · Qualitative Health Research · doi:10.1177/1049732310361892 · Cited by 802 · see citing works
Pyke, K. D. (2010) · Sociological Perspectives · doi:10.1525/sop.2010.53.4.551 · Cited by 457 · see citing works
Struggling to survive: sexual assault, poverty, and mental health outcomes of African American women
Bryant-Davis, T., Ullman, S. E., Tsong, Y., Tillman, S., & Smith, K. (2010) · American Journal of Orthopsychiatry · doi:10.1111/j.1939-0025.2010.01007.x · Cited by 112 · see citing works
Watson, N. N., Black, A. R., & Hunter, C. D. (2016) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-016-0539-3 · Cited by 55 · see citing works
Disparities in the provision of perinatal care based on patient race in the United States
Byrn, M. A., Buys, E. A., Mujahid, M., & Madsen, K. (2023) · Birth · doi:10.1111/birt.12717 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Hong, S., Satyshur, M. D., & Burnett-Zeigler, I. (2023) · Transcultural Psychiatry · doi:10.1177/13634615221076709 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
- Authors
- Beauboeuf-Lafontant, T.
- Affiliations
- DePauw University
- Venue
- Gender & Society
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2007-02
- Volume
- 21
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 28-51
- ISSN
- 0891-2432 (ISSN-L)
- 1552-3977
- OpenAlex
- W2106162032
- Cited by
- 385
- References
- 2
- Citations by year
- 2026: 20 · 2025: 25 · 2024: 28 · 2023: 29 · 2022: 20 · 2021: 30 · 2020: 16 · 2019: 25 · 2018: 25 · 2017: 52 · 2016: 16 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 23 · 2013: 16 · 2012: 12
- FWCI
- 33.02
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Gender & Society (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Racial and Ethnic Identity Research
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Gender, Health, and Social Inequality
- Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Feminist Theory and Gender Studies
- Keywords
- depression, Black women, race and gender, altruism, powerlessness, intersectionality, women's mental health
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