Date of Conferral

12-24-2025

Date of Award

December 2025

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Counselor Education and Supervision

Advisor

Dr. Mita Johnson

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic, which emerged in the past five years, has had a particularly severe impact on well-being, mental health, and access to care for Black communities. Therefore, the purpose of this quantitative study, grounded in intersectionality theory was to assess gender differences between Black women and Black men confronted with depression, anxiety, stress symptoms and mental health access during the crisis of COVID-19, which has been under researched within this demographic. The study sample included participants from various cities across the United States who lived through the COVID-19 pandemic from March 2020 to March 2023 (n= 104). A MANOVA analysis revealed no statistical significance by gender across DASS -21 subscales including depression, anxiety and stress symptoms. Wilks’ Λ = .984, F (3, 100) = 0.533, p = .661, partial η² = .016. Another MANOVA analysis found that the multivariate effect of gender was not statistically significant across ten Barriers Mental Health Services Revised Scales, while the follow-up univariate analyses revealed two significant effects. Men reported higher stigma than women, F (1, 102) = 5.37, p = .022, partial η² = .050, and greater concerns about psychotherapist qualifications compared to women, F (1, 102) = 6.55, p = .012, partial η² = .060. These findings support the few previous results on the subject of intersectionality and gender and contains implications for reducing barriers and increasing access to mental health treatment for Black men and women. Lastly, this study also yields potential implications and guidance for mental health professionals and promotes positive social change in assisting these communities.

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