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Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7035-5988

Date Available

3-22-2028

Year of Publication

2026

Document Type

Doctoral Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

College

Education

Department/School/Program

Educational and Counseling Psych

Faculty

Lali McCubbin

Faculty

Candice N. Hargons

Faculty

Kathleen Aspiranti

Abstract

Cultural mistrust, a skepticism toward predominantly White institutions rooted in a history of systemic mistreatment, fosters caution, hesitancy, and avoidance of mental healthcare services. However, cultural mistrust has recently been recognized as an outdated and sometimes misleading term that inadequately captures the experiences of Black Americans. This study seeks to address perceptions of outdated definitions of cultural mistrust, over-representation of quantitative research, and the lack of an intersectional framework applied to cultural mistrust.  Grounded in a critical constructivist paradigm, this study employs poetic inquiry to explore cultural mistrust in the context of Black Americans’ mental health service utilization (N=17). A few of the themes co-constructed were legacy of harm, Black intersectionality, and priority of Blackness. The findings show that a qualitative poetic exploration provides a robust understanding of Black Americans conceptualization of cultural mistrust and its influence on their utilization of mental health services. Additionally, these findings indicate the need for an expanded and nuanced conceptualization of cultural mistrust experienced by Black Americans.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.13023/etd.2026.24

Archival?

Archival

Funding Information

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Grant Number H79SM084720

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Available for download on Wednesday, March 22, 2028

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