Supporting the Wellbeing of Black Girls and Young Women: A Qualitative Exploration of Cross-Generational Knowledge Within Community Organisations

Background and Aims: Despite rich ancestral heritages, histories of creativity and resistance, and ongoing contributions to culture and society, Black girls and young women face intersecting layers of oppression, shaped by race, gender, age and often class. Despite some evidence highlighting the impact upon wellbeing and identity development processes, they remain underrepresented in statutory mental health services and psychological literature, with many instead finding support from community-based organisations. Responding to gaps in UK literature and calls for practitioner perspectives, this thesis centres cross-generational community knowledge through the lens of Black Feminist Thought and Critical Race Theory. In conversation with Black girls, young women, and the practitioners who support them, it explores the factors influencing their wellbeing and the role of community organisations in fostering and sustaining it. Methodology: This study employs a qualitative design, using Critical Thematic Analysis. Data were collected through a combination of online and in-person focus groups and dyadic interviews with 11 Black girls and young women (aged 16-25) and 11 Black female practitioners based in community and grassroots settings. Participants were recruited from 11 London-based community organisations. Findings: Four overarching themes were identified: ‘Resisting Dominant Discourses’, ‘Seeing Ourselves in Each Other: A Double-Edged Sword’, ‘Wellbeing is Political’, and ‘Centring Love, Mutual Care and Non-Western Forms of Knowledge’. These themes reflect the challenges faced by Black girls and young women in navigating oppressive contexts, the strategies they draw upon to resist and heal, and the ways in which support is co-constructed within community settings. Conclusions: Findings call for sustained investment in, and learning from, community-led approaches, inviting a reimagining of care that is relational, culturally sensitive, and anti-oppressive. Findings also highlight the complexities of shared identities between young people and practitioners, the political nature of wellbeing, and the urgent need for structural change.