Coping with Work-Related Stress: A Study of the Use of Coping Resources Among Professional Black Women

Professional Black women's experiences with work-related stress are rooted in the social, political, and economic context of the work environment. This environment is characterized by race and gender-based discrimination and social isolation in the workplace. The specific aims of this study were to describe professional Black women's coping responses to and the resources used to manage work-related stress. Data were collected from 203 professional Black women. Results indicate that spirituality was a key coping resource for coping with stress and specifically with work-related stress. Implications for social work intervention, policy, and research are addressed.