African-American Women's Spiritual Experiences of a Higher Power

This study was an exploration of how African American women who have been diagnosed and treated for breast cancer described their experiences of spirituality. The research literature on African American women, breast cancer, and spirituality contains information on the ways in which a relationship with God can serve as a means of support during a diagnosis of breast cancer. The goal of this generic qualitative study was to understand how having a relationship with a higher power helped the women adjust to their diagnosis of breast cancer and make treatment decisions, as well as how that relationship impacted their perceptions of their experience. The purposefully selected sample for this study was 10 self-identified African American women between the ages of 21-60 who resided in the South Atlantic of the United States and who had been diagnosed with breast cancer and were at least six months post-treatment. Participants completed semi-structured interviews, answering seven open-ended questions. The semi-structured interviews allowed participants to provide detailed insight into their experiences of diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer and their relationship with a higher power.