By C. White on October 15, 2015
Fifty-nine African American women were participants in an intervention and counselling involving domestic violence and depression. At first, the participants avoided discussions and acceptance of interventions, mental health counseling, anti-depressant medications (p. 296) but after the study, 90% of them (p. 297) stated that the 6 month intervention and counseling (p. 294) incorporated in the experiment was useful and helpful (p. 297).
There is a link between Intimate partner violence (IPV) and depression in African American women. But avoidance of depression treatments such as medication and counseling are avoided, due to great mistrust in the health care system. This is from experiences of classism, racism, sexism, and discrimination. They preferred self-care that would enable them to manage their own depression (p. 292).
Researchers used Motivational Interviewing (MI) as a tool to guide the women in receiving the motivation necessary to elicit inner-strength and change. MI is a self-care, transpersonal, humanistic means to reduce discomfort and provoke the women to speak about their experiences. Thus, it is effective in the promotion of receiving comfort to engage in talk therapy and acceptance of intervention which leads to positive life changes (p. 293). Part of self-care was talk-therapy based upon depression symptoms, depression truth and myths, fitness, oppression, health, spirituality, and safety planning (p. 294).
Reference
Wahab, Stéphanie, Christina Nicolaidis, Angie Mejia, S. Renee Mitchell, Dora Raymaker, Mary Jo Thomas, Vanessa Timmons, Jammie Trimble, A. Star Waters. 2014, May 23. “Motivational Interviewing at the Intersections of Depression and Intimate Partner Violence among African American Women.” Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work 11:291-303. doi:10.1080/15433714.2013.791502