Cupid Sherella, Brown Anglesia, Hickerson Hope
Manship School of Mass Communication, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.
College of Education (Educational Leadership & Policy Studies), Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA.
Qual Health Res. 2024 Aug;34(10):941-950. doi: 10.1177/10497323241227802. Epub 2024 Feb 12.
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the world through the necessity of mask mandates and stay-at-home orders, while marginalized communities continued to grapple with disproportionate outcomes of the pandemic due to systemic racism. Hence, some had to live in a double pandemic, such as minoritized healthcare professionals on the frontlines addressing the uncertainties of the health crisis. Importantly, Black women healthcare professionals relied upon sister circles as a mental health mechanism. Sister circles are support groups for and by Black women and are often informally formed within contexts such as education, work, and recreation. This qualitative study deepens the understanding of how during the double pandemic sister circles in the United States created a space for Black women healthcare professionals to support each other in managing stress, navigating workspaces, and sustaining their personal lives. Fifteen participants across different health professions, including nursing, social work, and therapy, participated in one-time interviews and focus groups to share their experiences as members of a sister circle. Four salient themes were: (1) mental health support, (2) mutual understanding, (3) guidance on how to engage in salary negotiations, and (4) professional knowledge. Additionally, the findings indicate that sister circles provided them a space for mental health support, rooted in mutual understanding, along with offering advice on salary negotiations and advancing their overall professional knowledge.
2020年，新冠疫情通过强制佩戴口罩和居家令影响了全世界，而边缘化社区由于系统性种族主义，继续在疫情造成的不成比例的后果中苦苦挣扎。因此，一些人不得不生活在双重疫情之中，比如身处前线应对健康危机不确定性的少数族裔医护人员。重要的是，黑人女性医护人员依靠姐妹团体作为一种心理健康机制。姐妹团体是由黑人女性组成并为其服务的支持团体，通常在教育、工作和娱乐等背景下非正式地形成。这项定性研究加深了我们对于在美国的双重疫情期间，姐妹团体如何为黑人女性医护人员创造一个空间，让她们在应对压力、适应工作环境和维持个人生活方面相互支持的理解。来自不同健康职业领域（包括护理、社会工作和治疗）的15名参与者参加了一次性访谈和焦点小组，分享她们作为姐妹团体成员的经历。四个突出主题是：（1）心理健康支持，（2）相互理解，（3）薪资谈判指导，以及（4）专业知识。此外，研究结果表明，姐妹团体为她们提供了一个基于相互理解的心理健康支持空间，同时还在薪资谈判方面提供建议，并提升她们的整体专业知识。
