A scoping review of the concept of resilience among African American women.
Cheryl L Woods-Giscombe, Karen Patricia Williams, Jamie Conklin and 11 others
PMID 37813493WHAT IT FOUND
Resilience in African American women is multidimensional, heavily relying on spirituality, social support, and cultural resources like John Henryism.
Standard measures often miss these factors, suggesting clinicians need culturally specific assessments rather than generic scales.
Key findings
01Most studies defined resilience as the capacity to adapt to adversity, with spirituality and social support identified as key contributors.
02Standard resilience measures like the Connor-Davidson scale were frequently used, but many studies lacked specific instruments, and culturally relevant measures like the Cultural Resilience Survey were rare.
03Resilience in this group is linked to specific coping mechanisms such as John Henryism and the Strong Black Woman archetype, which may carry health risks despite being protective psychologically.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
No quality appraisal of included studies was performed. The review was limited to English-language publications. Most included studies focused on African American women in the United States, limiting global applicability. Definitions and measures of resilience varied widely across studies, making synthesis difficult.
Declared interests
The authors declared no competing financial interests or personal relationships.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that high scores on standard resilience scales indicate positive health outcomes. The review notes that culturally specific coping mechanisms like John Henryism can be associated with adverse health effects such as cardiovascular disease, meaning 'resilience' in this context may mask physical strain.