This article presents the findings of an exploratory study of the stress
experienced by 72 African American nuns. The study found that the
less satisfied the nuns were with their religious congregations and the
less healthy they felt, the more stress they reported. Stress was also
significantly correlated with current age, age at entrance into religious life, and length of time in religious life and in the current
religious congregation.
References
1.
Bailey, D., Wolfe, D., & Wolfe, R.W. (1996). The contextual impact of social support across race and gender: Implications for African American women in the workplace . Journal of Black Studies, 26, 287-307.
2.
Baldwin, J.A., & Bell, Y.R. (1985). The African Self-Consciousness Scale: Africentric personality questionnaire. Western Journal of Black Studies , 9(2), 77-94.
3.
Bishops' Committee on Priestly Life and Ministry (1985). The health of American Catholic Priests. Washington, DC: United States Catholic Conference .
4.
Bochini Sr.M.Trinitas (1991). Discussion: Clergywomen and stress. Psychotherapy in Private Practice, 8,147-151.
5.
Brown, D. (1996, October 24). Study: Discrimination may cause hypertension in Blacks. Washington Post, p. A4.
6.
Chappell, P. (1993). Alienation from significant others scale. Washington, DC: National Black Sisters' Conference .
7.
Cohen, S., Kamarck, T., & Mermelstein, R. (1983). A global measure of perceived stress. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 24, 385-396.
8.
Cohen, S., Tyrrell, D.A.J., & Smith, A.P. (1993). Negative life events, perceived stress, negative affect and susceptibility to the common cold. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 64, 131-140.
9.
Copeland, M.S. (1996). A cadre of women religious committed to Black liberation: The National Black Sisters' Conference. U.S. Catholic Historian, 14,123-144.
10.
Davis, C. (1985). Where? How many? Families: Black and Catholic, Catholic and Black. Washington, DC: United States Catholic Conference.
11.
Davis, C. (1990). The history of Black Catholics in the United States . New York: Crossroad.
12.
Elgin, K. (1964). Nun: A gallery of sisters. New York: Random House.
13.
Ferguson, S.A., & King, T.C. (1996). Bring organizational behavior and therapy together: Counseling the African American female on "job socialization failure."Women and Therapy, 18(1), 48-58.
14.
Germaine, C.B., & Gitterman, A. (1980). The life model of social work practice. New York: Columbia University Press.
15.
Geyer, S. (1993). Life events, chronic difficulties and vulnerability factors preceding breast cancer. Social Science and Medicine , 37, 1545-1555.
16.
Gibeau, D. (1992, September 25). Landmark study focuses on U.S. religious . National Catholic Reporter, 28(41), 3.
17.
Hewitt, P.L., Flett, G.L., & Mosher, S.W. (1992). The Perceived Stress Scale: Factor structure and relation to depression symptoms in a psychiatric sample. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 14, 247-257.
18.
Joseph, M.V. (1980). New ministries of women religious: Role conflict and coping styles. Washington, DC: Religious Formation Conference.
19.
Modde, M., & Koval, J. (1974). Phase I of a research project on women who have left religious communities. Chicago: National Sisters Vocation Conference.
20.
Nygren, D.J., & Ukeritis, M.D. (1993). The Religious Life Futures Project: Executive summary. Review for Religious, 52(1), 6-55.
21.
Official Catholic Directory. (1996). New Providence, NJ: P. J. Kenedy & Sons.
22.
Plummer, D.L., & Slane, S. (1996). Patterns of coping in racially stressful situations . Journal of Black Psychology, 22(3), 302-315.
23.
Rayburn, C.A. (1991). Counseling depressed female religious professionals: Nuns and clergywomen. Counseling and Values, 35,136-148.
24.
Rosengren, A., Orth-Gomer, K., Wedel, H., & Wilhemsen, L. (1993). Stressful life events, social support and mortality in men born in 1933. British Medical Journal, 307,1102-1105.
25.
Smith, E.M.J. (1985). Ethnic minorities: Life stress, social support and mental health issues. Counseling Psychologist, 13, 537-579.
26.
Williams, L. (1986, May 28). Stress of adapting to White society cited as major cause of hypertension in Blacks. Wall Street Journal, Sec.1, p. 37.