Development and Preliminary Validation of a Screening Tool for Race-Related Psychological Stress in Black Pregnant Women

J Racial Ethn Health Disparities. 2025 Nov 10. doi: 10.1007/s40615-025-02720-2. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Black pregnant women face heightened psychological risks shaped by systemic racism, yet few screening tools capture the racialized stressors they routinely navigate. This study presents the initial psychometric evaluation of the Prepartum Form for Evaluating Race-Related Psychological Stressors (PP-FERRPS©), a novel, culturally responsive instrument grounded in Black feminist thought. In a sample of pregnant Black women (n = 145), exploratory factor analysis supported a five-factor, 30-item structure with strong internal consistency reliability. Evidence of convergent and concurrent validity emerged through significant correlations with gendered racial microaggressions, discrimination in healthcare, and anxiety symptoms. While associations with a standard depression measure were not statistically significant, findings suggest the PP-FERRPS© captures distinct forms of race-related stress that may predict perinatal anxiety. This tool addresses critical gaps in perinatal mental health assessment and offers a theory-driven resource to support accurate, culturally responsive care for Black birthing populations.

PMID:41214398 | DOI:10.1007/s40615-025-02720-2