TOPIC SELECTION: FIND A GAP
Topic Selection: Find a Gap Assignment
Jaquasia C. Vandross
CEFS-515: Research and Program Evaluation
Department of Counselor Education and Family Studies, Liberty University
Author Note
I have no known conflict of interest to disclose.
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Jaquasia C. Vandross
TOPIC SELECTION: FIND A GAP
Topic Selection: Find a Gap Assignment
1) First Topic of Interest: How Racial Microaggressions Impact the Mental Health of Black
Women of Different Occupational Prestige.
Gap Statement: “Specifically in the field of study of microaggressions, a frequent
criticism is the fact that most studies are developed with the aim of evaluating only the
way in which microaggressions are triggered by the singular identities of an individual,
being a woman or being black, separately, rather than understanding how the
intersections of multiple identities can affect an individual's experiences of
microaggression, such as being female and black” (Martins et al., p. 2794).
Reference
Martins, T. V., Lima, T. J., & Santos, W. S. (2020). The Effect of Racial Gender
Microaggressions on the Mental Health of Black Women. Science & Collective Health,
25(7), 2793–2802. https://doi.org/10.1590/1413-81232020257.29182018
TOPIC SELECTION: FIND A GAP
2) Second Topic of Interest: Factors Influencing Homeless and At-Risk African American
Women’s Mental Health.
Gap Statement: “While previous studies have analyzed the mental health of African-
American women (Watson & Hunter, 2015), the personal accounts of African-American
women who have been homeless and are current or former residents of long-term
transitional housing programs are lacking” (El Carmen Grafet et al., p. 168).
Reference
Graf, M. del, Dressel, A., Schmitt, M., Deal, E., Pittman, B., Lopez, A., Kako, P., &
Mkandawire‐Valhmu, L. (2021). ‘I was broken in so many different ways’: The
intersection of complex factors impacting homeless and at-risk African American
women’s mental health and Well‐being. International Journal of Mental Health
Nursing, 31(1), 167–178. https://doi.org/10.1111/inm.12946
Watson, N. N. & Hunter, C. D. (2015). Anxiety and depression among African American
women: The costs of strength and negative attitudes toward psychological help-seeking.
Cultural Diversity and Ethnic MinorityPsychology,21(4), 604–612.
https://doi.org/10.1037/cdp0000015
TOPIC SELECTION: FIND A GAP
3) Third Topic of Interest: The Effects That Spirituality Has on African American Women's
Mental Health.
Gap Statement: “A gap in the current literature exists on what impact an individual's
sense of religiosity/spirituality plays in mental health service utilization, and whether this
relationship differs by Black ethnicity among older groups” (Turner et al., p. 906).
Reference
Turner, N., Hastings, J. F., & Neighbors, H. W. (2019). Mental health care treatment seeking
among African Americans and Caribbean Blacks: What is the role of
religiosity/spirituality? Aging & Mental Health, 23(7), 905–911.
https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2018.1453484
