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Samanda Bryant Hagan, Ph.D., is a 2024 graduate of the PhD Program in Marriage and Family Therapy at Antioch University, New England

Screenshot of Dr. Samanda Bryant Hagen and her dissertation committee members taken from ZOOM

Samanda Bryant Hagan at her dissertation defense.

From L-R: Dr Denzel Jones, Committee Chair; Samanda Bryant Hagan; Dr, Cynthia Neal Spence, Committee Member; Dr. Stan L. Bowie, Committee Member

Dissertation Committee:

  • Denzel Jones, PhD, Chairperson
  • Stan L. Bowie, PhD, Committee Member
  • Cynthia Neal Spence, PhD, Committee Member

Keywords

African American, Black American, church, collaboration, help-seeking attitudes, mental health, pastoral counseling, self-concealment, treatment

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2024

Abstract

Support for collaborative partnerships between Black churches and mental health professionals is on the rise. Yet, little attention has been given to if and how the numerous barriers that Black people face in both domains, among others, affects mental health help-seeking attitudes and preferences on a sociocultural level. When there are negative consequences to mental health treatment utilization, either perceived or real, within every context of one’s lived experience, self-concealment may be a more favorable option. Using a quantitative, cross-sectional research design, the current study explores the relationship between self-concealment and religious and professional mental health help-seeking attitudes and preferences among Black, Christian churchgoing adults in the United States (US). Findings reveal that intimate partners are the dominant, preferred help-seeking source among Black churchgoing adults in the US, and mental health professionals are consistently preferred over clergy. Among those high in self-concealment, however, the preferred help-seeking sources are a phone helpline or no one at all. Correlation analyses reveal associated themes between self-concealment and religious and professional mental health help-seeking attitudes. Such themes include: self-stigma, public-stigma, anticipated risks of disclosure, shame, and aversion to vulnerability. Results from this study not only validate the use of interprofessional collaborations as a promising strategy for mitigating mental health treatment barriers among Black, Christian churchgoing adults in the US, but also provides valuable insights to aid in the development of effective collaborative care models. Collaborative programming strategies and considerations for mental health professionals and clergy are discussed. Study limitations and areas for future research are presented as well. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu).

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Headshot of Dr. Samanda Bryant Hagen taken outdoors

Dr. Samanda Bryant Hagan

ORCID: 0009-0000-0818-1916

Bio:

Samanda is a passionate, holistically-focused relational practitioner, who has dedicated her career to helping individuals, couples, and families enhance the quality of their relationships. She has served in both clinical and community-based settings, supporting a variety of diverse populations including active duty military, veterans, couples, youth, and families. Her work is driven by the belief that the quality of one’s relationships determines the quality of their life. From serving her country as an active-duty clinical social worker in the US Navy, to advocating for children who have been removed from their homes as a result of abuse or neglect, to therapeutic work with couples and families, Samanda has been committed to serving others and helping to facilitate healing in their relationships.

A seminary-trained, clinical social worker by trade, Samanda has a Master of Divinity and a Master of social work from Boston University, and a Bachelor of Arts from Spelman College. She completed her doctorate in couple and family therapy from Antioch University New England, where she is also part of the adjunct teaching faculty. Samanda also provides clinical supervision for provisionally licensed social workers and marriage and family therapists. She is the owner of Sam’s Lighthouse, a therapy practice in Kansas City, Missouri. Her research and clinical interests are centered on strengths-based approaches to mental health treatment, collaborative care models, and romantic partnerships.

Publications and Presentations:

Bowie, S., Dias-Bowie, Y., Fields, B., & Bryant, S. (2009). Intimacy in poverty's midst: Marriage, intimate male relationships, and TANF-reliant African American women. Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services, 90(3), 286-292.

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