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. Methods: We used path analysis to investigate the direct and indirect effects of an obligation to display an image of strength, emotional suppression, resistance to vulnerability, intense motivation to succeed, and an obligation to help others on depressive symptoms through social isolation. We also explored the direct and indirect effects of these factors on resilience through gendered racial centrality. Results: An obligation to help others was 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 were positively associated with resilience; resistance to vulnerability and emotional suppression were negatively associated with resilience. Gendered racial centrality did not mediate these relationships. 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.