Centering Black Mothers: A Review of Studies Examining the Role of Supports across Contexts That Bolster Maternal Mental Health

Background and Purpose: Mental illness is a serious public health concern for all groups but is uniquely devastating for African American mothers with young children. Mental health disparity, specific to differences in needs, access to services, and outcomes exists among African American mothers compared to other racial/ethnic groups. The negative effects of symptoms of psychological distress, depression, and anxiety during this sensitive period on maternal and child health likely persist across the lifespan for the mother and child. This is indeed a vulnerable population that requires special attention to improve their mental health and well-being. Using an African centered approach, this paper critically appraises current studies on the role of support across multiple contexts, more specifically, how formal mental health support, informal support, and community support bolsters mental health among African American mothers with young children.

Methods: Four bibliographic databases were searched to identify studies published between [2008] to [2018] using the same keyword combinations.  Studies were included based on the following criteria: (1) had a sample with African American mothers with young children aged birth to three years and (2) measured a mental health outcome, and (3) measured a social support outcome. Relevant studies were reviewed and study findings were analyzed.

Results: 18 studies met the inclusion criteria and were reviewed. Topically, studies show that social support, specifically informal support such as the support of the mother and partner or father of baby bolsters maternal mental health. There are a variety of study designs with cohort and randomized control studies included. However, the questions and methods focus heavily on understanding support provided within the immediate family and make it hard to clearly gauge how support across different contexts enhance mental health. Qualitative studies in this body of literature are useful in gaining an understanding of the complexity of supports and mobilizing informal, formal mental health, and community supports. Additionally, few African centered theoretical or conceptual models were represented in studies that included a predominately African American sample; subsequently, culturally relevant constructs and contexts were rarely captured.

Conclusion/Implications: Aligning with the conference and focus on reducing racial inequity, this paper examines maternal mental health African American mothers using a culturally specific framework that is grounded in the culture and unique experiences of African Americans. Collectively the findings within the studies reviewed add to our understanding of maternal mental health and supports among African American mothers with young children. The paper draws attention to methodological gaps that likely impede understandings of mental health and the use of supports and services, including formal mental health services within this group. The lack of African centered theoretical or conceptual support in studies with predominantly African American mothers, is problematic. The limitation also influences the descriptive, explanatory, and predictive power of existing studies in this area of research. Recommendations for future research with African American mothers with young children, are underscored.