“The Awesomeness and the Vastness of Who You Really Are:” A Culturally Distinct Framework for Understanding the Link Between Spirituality and Health for Black Sexual Minority Men

Abstract

Despite health inequities, many Black sexual minority men are resilient and often utilize spirituality as a culturally distinct self-protective and self-enhancing resource to maintain their health. However, little is known about how spirituality impacts health within a cultural framework that is specific to Black sexual minority men. We conducted 10 individual in-depth interviews, reaching code saturation, with Black sexual minority men across the USA. Our study was guided by grounded theory and a Black psychology theoretical framework. Seven themes were discovered and revealed that participants’ level of spiritual consciousness influenced their engagement in psychological and behavioral processes that were related to mental and physical health. These themes were: (a) suboptimal worldview, (b) emotional revelation, (c) emotional emancipation, (d) emotional regulation, (e) health motivations, (f) health behaviors, and (g) links between spiritual consciousness, mental health, and physical health. Implications of these findings for clinicians and researchers are discussed.

Religion/Spirituality, Stress, and Resilience Among Sexual and Gender Minorities: The Religious/Spiritual Stress and Resilience Model

“…1). RS SGMs have noted that their mental and physical health have affected their spiritual consciousness (Lassiter & Mims, 2021). Similarly, experiencing high degrees of distress may lead SGMs to engage with RS as a way to cope (see Abu-Raiya et al, 2015;Pargament, 1997).…”

Contributions of African-centered (Africentric) psychology: A call for inclusion in APA-accredited graduate psychology program curriculum.

“…A few researchers have articulated OCT in a lens beyond race and gender through dance narratives about colorism (Rhodes, 2019) and case conceptualizations of Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning or queer clients (Vance et al, 2022). Others have used OCT’s seminal tenets and broadened its application to address how spirituality impacts health within a cultural framework inclusive of sexual and gender minority people (OCT-SGM; Lassiter & Mims, 2022). Scientists and practitioners who seek to support Black people’s holistic well-being are encouraged to explore the culturally distinct aspects of Africentric healing practices to be able to adequately serve their needs, accounting for the influence of intersectional identities, within a society that is systemically intent on marginalizing people of African descent.…”

A Systematic Review of Black American Same-Sex Couples Research: Laying the Groundwork for Culturally-Specific Research and Interventions

“…These conditions contribute to high mortality rates (Cochran et al, 2016). Overall, the socioeconomic, mental, and physical health outcomes described above are linked to several psychosocial, political, and spiritual factors such as intersectional stigma (English et al, 2020), internalized homonegativity (Graham et al, 2011), misogynoir (Bailey & Trudy, 2018), adverse childhood experiences (Nelson et al, 2017), and low spiritual consciousness (Lassiter & Mims, 2021) that impact Black SM people's lives. BASCs' relationship quality and health are likely to be influenced by similar factors.…”

“…Afrocentric theories require policymakers and scientists to put more emphasis on spirituality, interdependence, and cultural knowledge as strengths within BASCs (Akbar, 2003;Maat, 2010). A strengths-based focus would highlight ways in which BASCSs thrive through resilience and resistance despite navigating myriad oppressive experiences (Lassiter & Mims, 2021;Myers, 1993;Poteat & Lassiter, 2019). Afrocentric theories offer an opportunity for empirical investigation of innovative culturally-embedded health determinants and practices such as music, ritual, and trance/possession (Williams, 2016).…”