ABSTRACT

In this survey of 318 middle- and working-class African American mothers, stress and female-related stress were found to be intense and frequent. Women experienced serious life changes. Younger mothers, with younger children, had more stress than older mothers, and college-educated women had more stress than those without a college education. Religion was important; women prayed frequently but tended not to attend church services. Faith provided strong emotional support, especially for the working class and those in stress, but women who were not religious had the lowest stress.

JOURNAL OF BLACK PSYCHOLOGY, Vol. 21 No. 4, November 1995 424–449 © 199S The Association of Black Psychologists