Incorporating Culture and Confronting Bias in the Evidence-Based Treatment of a Black Woman's Social Anxiety Disorder
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Authors
Stanley, Brittney N.
Issue Date
2025-03-12
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
Keywords
Black women , Culturally integrative care , Mental health--disparities , Racism , Sister circles , Social anxiety , Stereotypes
Alternative Title
Abstract
Research surrounding Black women in the mental health field have shown clear disparities in both diagnosis and treatment. Specifically for Black women, such factors like the strong Black woman (SBW) schema, angry Black woman (ABW) stereotype, and other forms of stigmatization against Black woman form to create a unique experience of oppression that can be difficult to treat in traditional forms of therapy that do not implement any form of cultural competency. Tonya is a Black woman that presented for a total of 20 treatment sessions, with severe levels of anxiety (SDS = 6.7, SIAS= 61, PSWQ= 80), depression (BDI= 31) and various forms of trauma. A majority of the fears she experienced in social contexts derived from being perceived in a negative connotation due to being a Black woman working in a predominantly white institution (PWI). Treatment was tailored to prioritize Tonya’s cultural identity and connect her with other Black women to share her experiences with. Through the utilization of sister circles and other culturally integrative cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques, Tonya showcased an overall grandiose reduction in clinical presentation in anxiety (SDS = 1, SIAS =30, SASCI= 5, PSWQ= 51) and depression (BDI= 2) alongside self-reports of heightened community involvement.
Description
An Empirically Supported Treatment Case Study
Citation
Publisher
Washburn University