Enhancing psychosocial competence among black women in college.

Many black women in the United States experience unique stressors that often impede their ability to interact and cope effectively in their psychosocial environment. The study in this article examined factors affecting the ability of black women to cope with everyday stressors and to master situations that induce psychological distress. Using an experimental design composed of an intervention group and a nontreatment control group with pretest and posttest measures, the study tested three hypotheses concerning the effectiveness of a psychoeducational group intervention involving 58 undergraduate black college women. Results revealed that after the eight-week group program the level of perceived stress among intervention group participants was reduced significantly compared with members of the control group. The difference remained statistically significant after control variables were taken into account. However, the data failed to support the hypotheses that the intervention would have a statistically significant effect on reducing the participants' external locus of control and increasing active coping. Although this study was conducted with a small sample of black college women, the findings offer preliminary data on the effectiveness of culture-based group interventions with black women aimed at enhancing psychosocial competence.