Title: Unmasking the Superwoman: A Sociocultural Investigation of Engagement with Digital Mental Health Platforms Among Perinatal Black Women

Date: Wednesday, June 10, 2026

Time: 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM EST

Location: Virtual Zoom Link

Meeting ID:  808 135 9475 

Vanessa Oguamanam

Ph.D. Candidate in Computer Science 

School of Interactive Computing 

Georgia Institute of Technology 

https://voguamanam.github.io/

Committee:

Dr. Andrea G. Parker (Advisor) 

School of Interactive Computing

Georgia Institute of Technology

Dr. Neha Kumar 

School of Interactive Computing

Georgia Institute of Technology

Dr. Jennifer Kim 

School of Interactive Computing 

Georgia Tech

Dr. Heather Cole-Lewis  

Google

Dr. Kevin Doherty 

School of Information & Communication Studies

University College Dublin

Abstract:

Perinatal mental health is a growing concern in the United States, particularly among racially minoritized populations such as Black women, who face heightened risks for developing perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) due to structural and social barriers. Despite experiencing higher rates of PMADs and chronic stress compared to their White counterparts, research indicates that Black women are less likely to utilize traditional mental health support due to barriers such as limited access, cost, and the lack of culturally competent care.

Recent advances in digital mental health platforms and AI-driven tools offer new possibilities for expanding access and reducing costs for new mothers. However, many of these tools overlook the sociocultural factors rooted in gendered racism that shape Black women's mental health outcomes, coping strategies, and lived experiences. Without addressing this misalignment, even the most sophisticated digital platforms and AI-enabled tools risk reproducing the same engagement challenges observed in prior mental health intervention research.

Across four studies, this dissertation demonstrates that engagement with digital mental health platforms among perinatal Black women is nuanced, dynamic, and shaped by sociocultural context. The first study identifies general patterns in perinatal Black women's use of digital platforms for mental health support and examines how engagement varies across sociocultural and demographic factors. The second study reveals the sociocultural influences and structural barriers that shape preferences for specific mobile apps for mental health support. The third study explores how sociocultural factors shape experiences of stress and coping in relation to social media engagement—uncovering a disconnect between lived experiences and online expression. The fourth study explores how perinatal Black women perceive and appraise their everyday maternal demands and sociocultural coping responses, and how these experiences shape their help-seeking behaviors. In doing so, this research highlights tensions between preferences for human-centered and AI-powered support, yielding design implications for next-generation perinatal mental health technologies. 

This dissertation calls on the HCI field to rethink how engagement with digital mental health interventions is conceptualized and assessed in perinatal contexts, moving beyond simple utilization metrics. Collectively, this work advances scholarship in HCI, CSCW, digital health equity, and perinatal mental health by demonstrating how the intersecting identities of race and gender shape perinatal Black women's perspectives of, experiences, and engagement with digital mental health platforms. Ultimately, this dissertation aims to improve the uptake and effectiveness of such platforms for those most vulnerable to poor mental health outcomes. Furthermore, it illustrates the utility of a culturally informed conceptual framework—specifically, the Superwoman Schema—as a guide for digital health innovation and research.