Date of Award

Spring 2026

Document Type

Open Access Dissertation

Department

Educational Studies

First Advisor

Dodie Limberg

Abstract

Fatherlessness in the Black community is a growing phenomenon that has been widely studied. Although this has been widely studied, there is limited literature that focuses on Black adolescent girls and Black women in early adulthood, more specifically, high school age and college aged women. The literature that has been previously published presents an overwhelmingly negative connotation when connecting Black girls and absent fathers. This multi-manuscript dissertation consists of two studies, both of which explore the impact of fatherlessness on resilience, parental support, and academic motivation, and mental health of Black girls and women. For the first study, I employed a Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR) methodology. The research team explored the participant resilience experiences, presenting a strengths-based viewpoint on coping strategies and protective factors. The second study utilizes a descriptive, correlational design to examine the relationships of perceived parental support, academic motivation, and mental health of Black women in college. Together, these two studies begin to offer a comprehensive understanding on the multifaceted experiences, and coping strategies Black women and girls employ to lead successful lives and develop positive mental health outcomes. Both studies also generate implications for the needs of Counselor Educators, School Counselors, and Mental Health Professionals.

Rights

© 2026, Jessica Mikaja Barnes

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