Spirituality and relational health among Black Americans

Black Americans may be less likely to seek conventional mental health services, often preferring to seek assistance within their social support networks, including spiritual and religious communities. Research related to relational health as a marker of spirituality among Black Americans is limited, especially in counseling literature. Relational health and spirituality preserve wellness particularly among Black Americans. Thus, we have illuminated new pathways for exploring Black American well-being. A multiple regression analysis of 233 adult participants (68 men and 165 women), who identified as Black American or African American (n = 221) or Bi-/Multi-racial (n = 12), indicated a significant relationship between spirituality and relational health. The mentor and community subscales on the Relational Health Indices (RHI) made a significant contribution to the model, indicating that quality relationships impact levels of spirituality. Religious affiliation moderated the relationship between relational health domains and spirituality.