"I Know How to Take Care of Myself.": Composite Narratives Among Rural Black Women Coping with Structural Inequities

The rural mental health crisis is especially pronounced in Black women who are overburdened with social inequities. Persistent poverty and gendered racial microaggressions (GRM) are structural determinants that contribute to the disparities in Black women's health outcomes. Using the Africultural framework and a community-based, qualitative approach, this study illustrates the coping strategies of rural Black women who experience structural inequities. Participants included Black American, rural women in the Alabama Black Belt region. A community meeting (n = 1) was held with 38 participants, a subsample of a larger study. Participants were asked how they cope and to tell stories about managing stressful experiences. We analyzed data from the group interview using an inductive approach and created three composite narratives to examine our participants' perspectives. Narratives revealed the ways poverty and GRM intersect and restrict health, coping behaviors, and financial stability. Participants reported using a variety of coping methods including faith-based, collective, self-care, and resistance coping strategies. Narrative inquiry provides a robust way to understand the mental health and coping behaviors of rural Black women. Structural power dynamics persist and understanding the ways they impact behaviors should inform mental health care, interventions, policies, and services.