Association Between Superwoman Schema, Depression, and Resilience: The Mediating Role of Social Isolation and Gendered Racial Centrality

Objectives: We examined dimensions of Superwoman Schema as predictors of both depression and resilience. We also investigated if social isolation and gendered racial centrality mediated these relationships. Method: We used path analysis to investigate the direct and indirect effects of an obligation to display an image of strength, emotional suppression, and resistance to vulnerability on depressive symptoms through social isolation. We also explored the direct and indirect effects of an intense motivation to succeed and an obligation to help others on resilience through gendered racial centrality. Results: Emotional suppression and an obligation to help others were directly associated with depression. Emotional suppression, resistance to vulnerability, and an obligation to help others were indirectly associated with depression through social isolation. In contrast, an obligation to display an image of strength and an intense motivation to succeed was associated with resilience and gendered racial centrality. Conclusion: Findings highlight the unique complexity of Superwoman Schema as suggested within qualitative research. Black women's endorsement of Superwoman Schema may be both adaptive in navigating interlocking systems of oppression and psychologically distressing. Public Significance Statement We explored social isolation and gendered racial centrality as two factors that may explain the complexity of Superwoman Schema and mental health outcomes: social isolation explained depression symptoms while gendered racial centrality explained resilience. The findings highlight the importance of understanding the complexities of Black women's sense of self and add to the growing body of literature that has implications for culturally competent interventions for Black women.