ABSTRACT A qualitative research study was conducted to understand the meaning of religion in the lives of African-American women and how it connected to their mental well-being. Stories of women in their day-to-day lives are examined using a phenomenological methodology to determine the ways in which women sought help and whether religion was a benefit to their lives. The findings established that there were diverse interpretations and methods of viewing the term religion and mental well-being. Each person had their own appraisal of what these terms meant, and how they affected them. An unexpected finding of the research was the significance of eastern meditation and Buddhist practice with women who were part of conservative Black faith communities that discouraged such practice.

中文翻译：

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非裔美国女性宗教与心理健康的交集

摘要 进行了一项定性研究，以了解宗教在非洲裔美国妇女生活中的意义及其与她们的心理健康的关系。使用现象学方法检查女性日常生活中的故事，以确定女性寻求帮助的方式以及宗教是否对她们的生活有益。研究结果表明，对宗教和心理健康一词有不同的解释和方法。每个人对这些术语的含义以及它们如何影响它们都有自己的评价。该研究的一个意外发现是东方冥想和佛教实践对女性的重要性，这些女性属于保守的黑人信仰社区，不鼓励这种实践。