Date of Award

Summer 8-15-2025

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

PhD Counseling Psychology

Department

Psychology

Advisor

Minsun Lee, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Pamela Foley, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Victoria Wilkins, Ph.D.

Keywords

BIPOC, women, benign gynecological conditions, doctor-patient relationship, racism

Abstract

This study sought to gain a better understanding of the impact of the doctor-patient relationship on BIPOC women with benign gynecological conditions. The current study explored how wellbeing is impacted in BIPOC cis-gender women with benign gynecological conditions by measuring the quality of the relationship. General racism experience was also explored as a moderator on the impact of doctor-patient relationship on wellbeing. A total of 169 participant responses were included in this study. Hierarchical regression analysis demonstrated that there was a significant relationship between gynecological conditions and wellbeing. In addition, there was a significant negative relationship between racism experience and wellbeing, and a significant positive relationship between doctor-patient relationship quality and wellbeing. Additionally, racism experiences were not found to moderate the impact of the doctor-patient relationship quality on wellbeing. The findings illustrate that BIPOC women with benign gynecological conditions who have poor quality of relationships with their doctors tend to report lower wellbeing. The results of this study can impact theoretical understanding about the impact of racism and also call for researchers to develop more specified tools to better understand this population. These results also call for the implementation of healing strategies in therapy, the continued need for women’s health advocacy, and more adequate education for providers, therapists, and patients. Future research may explore differences in experiences with doctors, depending on symptoms and fertility journeys. In addition, future qualitative research would be helpful in gaining insight to the mechanisms by which these women are affected by their healthcare experiences.

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