Date of Conferral

2-18-2026

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Ethel Perry

Abstract

Black women managing Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS) and mood disorders navigate complex health care experiences within systems that often fail to recognize their needs. Health care disparities, cultural expectations, and systemic barriers create distinct interpretive contexts for this population, who often encounter delayed diagnoses, inadequate treatment, and dismissal of their symptoms despite often reporting higher levels of pain severity. Using the biopsychosocial model as a conceptual framework, this qualitative study utilized interpretative phenomenological analysis to explore how Black women make sense of their experiences across physical, psychological, and social dimensions. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews with six participants. Key findings of thematic analysis revealed that participants redefined traditional strength away from stoic endurance in favor of strategic vulnerability, honesty, and asking for support. Meaningful support was defined as being witnessed, believed, and accompanied rather than being received as advice or pressure to improve. FMS was often framed as a structural and political illness in which health care dismissal reflected systemic racism and expectations of Black women’s labor. Healing was linked to reclaiming rest and autonomy. These findings support social change by illuminating how Black women’s interpretation of preferred social support is grounded in cultural frameworks, experiential validation, and holistic integration across multiple life domains. The findings may guide the development of culturally responsive support interventions and improve care engagement and health outcomes for this historically marginalized population.

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