A new study demonstrates how film is an effective tool for expanding complex concepts, such as maternal mental health, and can provide deeper insights and holistic strategies for mental healthcare.
The authors—Jasmine Graham, Michelle R. Ghoston, and Sharon Blackwell Jones—all identify as Black, female, and mothers. They bring their personal experiences to their research from the Department of Counseling at Wake Forest University.
They conduct a qualitative case study of The Color Purple film to argue for broadening the understanding of maternal mental health to one that extends beyond the traditional time frame and conceptualizations of pregnancy and postpartum.
They propose a more comprehensive and holistic approach to maternal mental health care, emphasizing the long-term effects of trauma, the importance of community support, and the intersection of economic mobility and mental well-being. By examining how motherhood was portrayed in the film, the authors explore how broader psychological and social issues shape mental health across the entire lifespan.
They write:
“The portrayal of maternal mental health in The Color Purple (Bazawule, 2023) underscores the complexity of the challenges that mothers face and the need for comprehensive, long-term support. Counseling approaches that address the broad spectrum of maternal mental health issues—ranging from trauma and social support to economic stability—are essential for promoting the well-being of mothers and their families. By integrating these insights into practice, counselors can better support mothers in navigating the mental health challenges that arise throughout their lives, ultimately contributing to healthier families and communities.”
This study exemplifies the psychological humanities by using The Color Purple to ground psychological understanding in the lived, cultural, and relational experiences of mothers, challenging reductive psychiatric frameworks that pathologize without addressing systemic and contextual realities. By integrating art and storytelling, it expands the scope of psychological inquiry to embrace the complexity and humanity of mental health.
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Love the colour purple. The only line I remember though is “she sure is ugly”! Absolute rubbish that it illuminates realities of mental health because ‘mental health’ is a concept rather then a reality while Colour Purple depicts reality rather then psychiatric concepts. How mad you all are eh. Ditch the whole idea of mental health and understand human reality as it is, without prejudice, and then you will no longer be mad. Otherwise you may as well invest in a life time supply of antipsychotics even though they don’t work because your brain is only capable of destructive, blind and stupid action, as the world makes clear today. Antipsychotics should be reserved for the socially conditioned ‘sane’. There is hope only for those whose clarity or intelligence means they suffer in this miserable and insane society.
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“First, they call on counselors to support clients by fostering self-care and empowerment through advocacy, psychoeducation [is “chemical imbalance lies”], and interprofessional consultation, particularly in addressing the role of trauma and its intersection with various forms of oppression” … except the trauma that is caused by the torturous, forced psychiatric and psychologically “invalid” misdiagnosing DSM deluded lies / oppression.
“Second, the authors emphasize the importance of fostering social support networks and highlighting the role of community.
As one who had to leave my ex-religion twice, due to their systemic “partnership” with the systemic child abuse covering up psychological and psychiatric industries. I know the scientific fraud based, DSM deluded psychologists and psychiatrists are committing egregious crimes, against child abuse survivors, and their legitimately concerned mothers.
It’s sad, illegal, and so ungodly disrespectful, psychology and psychiatry. I have no doubt, God is ashamed of you, and the mainstream religions you bought out, so you could cover up the child abusing pastor’s crimes. It’s just shameful, and so sad to live in a world where “those we hail, are the worst of all.”
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If one read the book an epistolary novel by Alice Walker and saw the first film one one would slowly realize it is about sex abuse and physical abuse and misogyny and adoption.
Beautiful literary rendering of what happens in family systems and communities when living in oppression that cannot be broken or has failed to be broken .
I love the line about God giving the earth the color purple of its sheer beauty. And I love the lesson that one can learn to love one’s self even during hard times.
It’s actually not a bad idea. There should be more and I think MIA had something with film. Television shows and books also can be good tools. But one needs to see or read the originals.
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