Factors and Processes Associated With Physical and Psychological Health of African-American Mothers With Type 2 Diabetes: A Heuristic Model
- Velma McBride Murry, PhD,
- Michelle D. Owens, PhD,
- Gene H. Brody, PhD,
- Angela R. Black, MS,
- Amanda S. Willert, PhD and
- Anita C. Brown, PhD
Abstract
In Brief
This article examines the influence of social and personal stressors on the physical and psychological functioning of African-American mothers with type 2 diabetes. The conceptual model presented proposes that exposure to multiple stressors may lead some African-American women to implement exaggerated coping behaviors to prove their competence, which in turn may prevent them from seeking and accepting the help they need. The negative consequences for health of this “superwoman syndrome” are emphasized. The moderating or buffering effect of social support and maternal psychological resources on the links between stressors, coping behaviors, and health are also considered.
Footnotes
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Velma McBride Murry, PhD, is a professor of child and family development and co-director of the Center for Family Research; Gene H. Brody, PhD, is a distinguished research professor of child and family development and director of the Center for Family Research; Angela R. Black, MS, is a doctoral student in the Department of Child and Family Development; and Anita C. Brown, PhD, is assistant director of the Center for Family Research, all at the University of Georgia in Athens. Amanda S. Willert, PhD, is a medical marriage and family therapist in the Division of Behavioral Medicine at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, N.C. Michelle D. Owens, PhD, is a senior service fellow in the Division of Diabetes Translation at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Ga.
- American Diabetes Association
