Malia Deese
Research Mentor: Sheria Robinson-Lane
Mentor Department: Systems, Populations, and Leadership, Nursing
Author(s): Malia Deese, Sheria G. Robinson-Lane, PhD
Session: Session 7 (4:00 PM – 4:50 PM)
Presentation Type: Poster 34
Abstract
Introduction: Chronic pain and depression frequently co-occur and disproportionately affect African American women, yet their lived experiences are often inadequately captured by standardized clinical assessments. Cultural expectations and historical societal pressures contribute to patterns in which many Black women feel obligated to minimize, mask, or underreport their pain. This phenomenon is well captured in the “superwoman schema” or “strong black woman schema”, a cultural coping framework that emphasizes resilience and individualism. While this coping mechanism can serve as a source of strength, it may also obscure underlying physical and emotional pain, leading to underreported symptoms and inconsistent pain scores.
Methods: This study analyzes data (using STATA) collected from African American women participating in a chronic pain study. The survey measured both quantitative and qualitative data, including but not limited to assessments of pain severity, the impact of pain on daily activities, self-efficacy, and pain management strategies. This data was then analyzed through comparative analysis in order to find connections between both quantitative and qualitative measures to better capture how pain is experienced and expressed in daily life.
Results: Analyses examined the relationship between depressive symptoms and pain experiences. Results indicated that higher depression scores were associated with greater pain interference and higher reported pain intensity, suggesting a relationship between physical and emotional distress. Similarly, higher depressive symptoms were associated with lower coping ability, indicating that emotional distress may limit individuals’ perceived ability to manage physical pain. Additionally, analysis indicated that religious coping was positively associated with overall coping ability, suggesting that participants who engaged more frequently in spiritual coping practices also reported stronger perceived general coping skills. Overall, while participants reported significant pain interference and emotional distress, many also reported engaging in adaptive coping strategies, including religious or spiritual coping behaviors. These patterns are consistent with culturally informed frameworks such as the Strong Black Woman schema, in which resilience and independence tend to shape how physical and emotional distress are experienced and displayed.
Discussion: These findings highlight the importance of incorporating culturally informed frameworks when assessing chronic pain and related mental health outcomes among African American women. Relying solely on standardized quantitative pain scales may overlook important social and cultural dynamics that shape pain expression. Therefore, an analysis of such a wide range of questions diving into not only quantitative pain measures, but also qualitative measures surrounding how pain affects daily life will yield significant connections that will help researchers understand how to improve the daily lives of black women. Ultimately, this work seeks to inform more culturally intuitive interventions that acknowledge the complex social contexts shaping pain expression and the depression that couples it within the population of black women.
