Back to results

Washington University in St. Louis

Navigating Gendered Racism through Coping and Radical Healing: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Black Women’s Mental Health in Doctoral Programs

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

<p>Gendered racism emerges as a pervasive mental health concern among Black women doctoral students. However, there is a scarcity of existing literature on the strategies being used to maintain mental well-being while navigating gendered racism among Black women doctoral students. To address the current gaps in scientific knowledge, this dissertation completed individual semi-structured interviews. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), and the lens of Black Feminist Thought and Intersectionality were used as guiding theoretical frameworks to examine narratives of fifteen Black women doctoral students at universities in the United States. The study findings provided insight into coping strategies and the role of radical healing as a way of resisting oppression while in a doctoral program. Data analysis resulted in three themes describing coping strategies: (1) navigating identity and social dynamics, (2) incorporating coping strategies and wellness, and (3) healing and activism in the pursuit of equity. Healing and activism encompassed strategies of radical healing. Implications for research and practice are offered.</p>

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Level thesis:degree_level
Dissertation
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Social Work
Year dc:date.available
2024

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Keys, Phylicia
Contributors dc:contributor
  • Vetta Sanders Thompson

Subjects

dc:subject × 2

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • I have not registered my thesis with the U.S. Copyright Office, and do not intend to.
Language dc:language
English (en)

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:openscholarship.wustl.edu:brown_etds-1034

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Washington University in St. Louis
Base URL
openscholarship.wustl.edu/do/oai/
Last updated
2026-07-24
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Keys, Phylicia. Navigating Gendered Racism through Coping and Radical Healing: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Black Women’s Mental Health in Doctoral Programs. Dissertation thesis, 2024. https://doi.org/10.7936/GS30-EZ21