Racial Identity Clusters and Their Relation to Postpartum Maternal Functioning in Black Women.

OBJECTIVES: Racial identity, which is the degree that individuals define themselves regarding their racial group membership, may influence the mental well-being of Black adults. To gain an understanding of the role Black racial identity may have on postpartum mental health, the researchers performed a secondary data analysis to examine the relationship between six Black racial identity clusters (Low Race Salience, Assimilated and Miseducated, Self-Hating, Anti-white, Multiculturalist, and Conflicted) and postpartum maternal functioning in Black women living in Georgia. METHODS: Black women completed Cross's Racial Identity Scale, the Barkin Index of Maternal Functioning, and demographic questionnaires online via Qualtrics®. PARTICIPANTS: A total sample of 116 self-identified Black postpartum women were included in the analysis. Women ranged in age from 18 to 41 years (M = 29.5 ± 5.3) and their infants were 1 to 12 months old (M = 5.6 ± 3.5). The majority of women were married/cohabitating with their partner (71%), had a college degree (53%), and employed (69%). RESULTS: It was determined through Kruskal Wallis test, χ2(5) = 20.108, p < 0.05, that the women belonging to the Assimilated and Miseducated cluster had higher levels of maternal functioning when compared to the women in the Self-Hating and Anti-white clusters. CONCLUSION: This study is novel in its exploration of the relationship between Black racial identities and postpartum maternal functioning. Findings support the need for further research with larger sample and cluster sizes to determine the relationship between racial identity and maternal functioning.

Examining the Relationship Between Black Racial Identity Clusters and Postpartum Depressive Symptoms.

BACKGROUND: This study examined the relationship between racial identity clusters and postpartum depressive symptoms (PPDS) in Black postpartum mothers living in Georgia. AIMS: A cross-sectional study design using Cross's nigrescence theory as a framework was used to explore the relationship between Black racial identity and PPDS. METHOD: Black mothers were administered online questionnaires via Qualtrics. A total sample of 116 self-identified Black mothers were enrolled in the study. Participants ranged in age from 18 to 41 years (M = 29.5 ± 5.3) and their infants were 1 to 12 months old (M = 5.6 ± 3.5). The majority of mothers were married or cohabitating with their partner (71%), had a college degree (53%), and worked full-time (57%). RESULTS: Hierarchical cluster analysis identified six racial identity clusters within the sample: Assimilated and Miseducated, Self-Hating, Anti-White, Multiculturalist, Low Race Salience, and Conflicted. A Kruskal-Wallis H test determined there was no difference in PPDS scores between racial identity clusters. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first to explore the relationship between Black racial identity clusters of postpartum mothers and their mental health. Findings emphasize the complexity of Black racial identity and suggest that the current assessment tools may not adequately detect PPDS in Black mothers. The implications for these findings in nursing practice and future research are discussed.

Exploring Non-Pharmacological Management among Anesthesia Providers to Reduce Preoperative Distress in Children.

Preparation for surgery with the induction of general anesthesia is one of the most stressful events that a child can experience. It produces several threats to the child, including physical harm, parent separation, and fear of the unknown. Anesthesia providers utilize non-pharmacological and pharmacological interventions to decrease this preoperatively. However, little is known about the non-pharmacological interventions utilized by anesthesia providers in practice. The purpose of this study was to explore non-pharmacological interventions utilized by anesthesia providers before and during the induction of general anesthesia to reduce preoperative distress in children ages one to six years old. A qualitative descriptive approach was used in this study. Twenty anesthesia providers, fourteen registered nurse anesthetists and six anesthesiologists, participated in face to face, in-depth interviews in South Florida. Content analysis was used to identify and define the major themes that emerged from the interviews. A total of seven main themes were identified. Only the three themes directly related to parent-provider-child relationship are discussed in this paper: (I) Communication, (II) Observational Skills, and (III) Parental Presence. The anesthesia providers who participated in this study offered an opportunity to better understand the non-pharmacological interventions used to impact the management of preoperative distress among children. Study findings provide evidence about non-pharmacological anesthesia providers' clinical work not found elsewhere in the literature. Non-pharmacological interventions are effective in reducing preoperative distress in children.