A Phenomenological Study on the Mental Health Experiences of Young Black Women in the Greater Toronto Area: From Obscurity to Visibility

Abstract

This qualitative study explores the mental health experiences of young Black women, aged 18–25, residing in the Greater Toronto Area. Informed by critical race theory (CRT), critical disability studies (CDS), and the concept of anti-Black racism (ABR), the study interrogates how systems of oppression including racism, sexism, and anti-Blackness shape young Black women’s mental health and help-seeking behaviours. Drawing on van Manen’s (1990, 1997) approach to hermeneutic phenomenology, along with McCracken’s (1988) long interview method (LIM), the study sought to answer the following overarching question: How do young Black women in the GTA experience mental health, and how do these experiences shape their help-seeking behaviours? Supporting sub-questions included the following: 1) How do young Black women become aware of and manage their mental health concerns? 2) How do the intersections of race and gender influence young Black women’s mental health experiences? 3) What role does mental health stigma play in young Black women’s experiences of service utilization for their mental health concerns?

Data was gathered from in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 14 young, Black, women-identified participants. One of the key findings from these interviews was that young Black women experience mental health concerns at the intersection of systems of oppression and domination, including racism, sexism, and anti-Blackness. Each participant spoke to the ways that young Black women learn about themselves and mental health (Theme 1), including how they came to know about their mental health concerns (Subtheme 1), of which a significant part was navigating the conversation of mental health in the Black community (Subtheme 2). In addition, participants shared insights on the assumptions about young Black women (Theme 2), including the expectation for young Black women to be strong and pull through (Subtheme 3), while also navigating the ways their various emotions are reduced to anger (Subtheme 4). As a result of these pressures, participants often felt that acknowledging their mental health concerns enabled others to perceive them as weak or deficient (Subtheme 5). Further, participants spoke to the barriers and facilitators to help-seeking and what effective mental healthcare looks like (Theme 3), discussing their experiences in accessing mental health supports (Subtheme 6) with many choosing to find ways to manage their distress outside of formal means (Subtheme 7). They also spoke to what they need for mental health care to be meaningful and effective for them (Subtheme 8).

The study underscores the urgent need for transformative and integrative approaches to mental health care that validate young Black women’s experiences and account for intersecting systems of oppression. Implications extend to mental health practice, disaggregated data collection, and social work education, calling for frameworks that embrace race, gender, and systemic inequities to foster environments where young Black women can not only survive but thrive.