“With God in our lives he gives us the strength to carry on”: African Nova Scotian women, spirituality, and racism-related stress

Abstract

This mixed-methods study explored the racism-related experiences of 50 mid-life African-heritage women living in Nova Scotia, Canada, along with their use of spirituality as a coping strategy for dealing with racism-related stress. Four standardised instruments, along with qualitative in-depth interviews, were used to examine women's experiences of racism, depression, stress, and spirituality. Spirituality provided a key coping mechanism for racism-related stress, providing church community, spiritual community, faith, guidance, a personal relationship with God, and a source of meaning-making. For some women, spiritual belief provided a means of cognitive reinterpretation, allowing them to make sense of racism and other life challenges, recasting these as tests and trials which they were capable of surmounting with God's blessing and protection. Implications for mental health practitioners include working with spiritual and religious venues to help lessen stigma against mental health problems.

Keywords:

• racism
• racism-related stress
• spirituality
• mental health
• Canada

Acknowledgements

This study was conceptualised by members of the Health Association of African Canadians and funded by the Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation.