Minority Stress as a Multidimensional Predictor of LGB+ Adolescents’ Mental Health Outcomes

Weeks, Sean N.; Renshaw, Tyler L.; Vinal, Stephanie A.

doi:10.1080/00918369.2021.2006000

Cited by 9 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 59 publications

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“…The effect of SGM stress on relationship functioning did not differ between distal (i.e., discrimination, victimization) and proximal stressors (i.e., identity concealment, expectations of rejection, internalized stigma). This result is consistent with previous studies finding that proximal and distal SGM stressors each explain unique variance in mental health outcomes (e.g., Hunter et al, 2021;Ramirez & Galupo, 2019;Weeks et al, 2021). There are several possible explanations for this finding.…”

Section: Sexual and Gender Minority Stress And Relationship Functioningsupporting

confidence: 93%

The effects of sexual and gender minority stress on relationship functioning: A meta‐analysis

Bresin

Nicholas

Cowand

et al. 2023

Personal Relationships

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Theory and research indicate that experiences of sexual and gender minority (SGM) stress among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, plus (LGBTQ+) individuals are related to a variety of negative health outcomes. Because positive romantic relationships promote better physical and mental health outcomes, understanding factors that contribute positively or negatively to relationship functioning is necessary to improve relationships and promote physical and mental health. As such, the primary goals of the present study were to conduct a meta‐analysis on the association between SGM stress and (1) relationship functioning and (2) substance use, a well‐established predictor of relationship functioning. We used multivariate meta‐analysis with robust variance estimation to summarize the effects. Across 304 effects from 73 studies, we found a significant negative association between SGM stress and relationship functioning, r = −.13, 95% CI [−0.16, −0.10]. We also found significant positive associations between SGM stress and alcohol use r = .08, 95% CI [0.06, 0.11], and drug use r = .09, 95% CI [0.05, 0.13]. These small, but significant, relations are interpreted to indicate that SGM stress could erode relationship functioning and, in turn, weaken its potential protective effects against negative health outcomes, although longitudinal studies are needed.

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Section: Sexual and Gender Minority Stress And Relationship Functioningsupporting

confidence: 93%

The effects of sexual and gender minority stress on relationship functioning: A meta‐analysis

Bresin

Nicholas

Cowand

et al. 2023

Personal Relationships

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“…The notion that specific groups of individuals may experience stress as a function of their specific minority status in society is one that has been increasingly investigated (Meyer, 1995 ). This has been specifically recognised in relation to ethnic minority groups (Rehman et al, 2021 ), and LGBTQIA + populations (Weeks et al, 2021 ), but pressures to fit with specific societal norms and/or conceal aspects of oneself has also been applied to autistic populations (Botha & Frost, 2018 ). It may therefore be important for future research to develop instruments capable of indexing specific aspects of worry and stress experienced by autistic individuals to better understand and address issues that are not shared with the broader community upon which most instruments are normed and validated.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

What Are You Worried About? Content and Extent of Worry in Autistic Adults

Black

Greenwood

Hwa

et al. 2023

J Autism Dev Disord

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Autistic adults commonly experience anxiety and worry, although knowledge on how worry presents and the content, extent, and experiences among autistic adults is limited. A convergent parallel mixed-methods approach was used to explore the presentation and experiences of worry in autistic and non-autistic adults. Quantitative surveys were used to compare the content and extent of worry in autistic adults to non-autistic adults, with semi-structured interviews also conducted with autistic adults to gain a deeper understanding of the experiences, impacts and content of worry in autistic adults. Findings indicated that autistic adults demonstrated clinically significant levels of worry which were substantially higher than non-autistic adults. Autistic adults described worry as a cycle of negative thoughts impacting their daily life. Findings indicate that autistic adults may worry more than non-autistic adults, impacting on participation in activities of daily living, sleep, and mental health.

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“…Minority stress has been shown to consistently predict concurrent mental health disparities among sexual minority adolescents, including in depression, suicidality, and substance use (Meyer, 2003; Weeks et al, 2021). Several measures have been developed to assess levels of minority stress in adults, including the Heterosexist Harassment, Rejection, and Discrimination Sale (Szymanski, 2009); the Gay-related Stressful Life Events Scale (Rosario et al, 2002); the Daily Heterosexist Experiences Questionnaire (Balsam et al, 2013); and the LGBT People of Color Microaggressions Scale (Balsam et al, 2011).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Scores from the SMASI have been found to be meaningfully associated with anxiety, depression, substance misuse, and suicidality among sexual minority adolescents (Burgess, 2017; Fulginiti et al, 2020; Weeks et al, 2021). The SMASI measures global minority stress (via a total score) as well as 11 specific minority stressors (via subscale scores) that are drawn from proximal and distal stress frameworks, respectively.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Global minority stress and specific minority stressors were modeled, yet the mid-level factors representing proximal and distal stress were left out of the multidimensional measurement model. While one preliminary study found strong internal consistency reliability and convergent validity evidence supporting the use of distal and proximal domain scores from the SMASI (Weeks et al, 2021), the empirical defensibility of these domain-level factors (i.e., proximal stress and distal stress) have yet to be substantiated via factor analysis. Thus, there are no adequate measures of distal or proximal stress that can be used with sexual minority youth.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Validating the Structure of Proximal and Distal Factors within the Sexual Minority Adolescent Stress Inventory

Weeks

Renshaw

Serang

2022

Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment

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Minority stress theory is a model for understanding health disparities among sexual minorities, defined as those who experience a level of same-sex attraction, identity, or behavior. Methods for assessing minority stress among youth included only adult measures until the development of the Sexual Minority Adolescent Stress Inventory (SMASI). The SMASI appears to be a robust scale in its ability to measure specific stressors and global minority stress among adolescents; however, it does not measure the domain-level constructs of proximal and distal stress, which are integral features of the underlying theory. This study tests the psychometric defensibility of including these domain-level factors within an updated SMASI measurement model. Results provide evidence for the structural validity of the proximal and distal domains within the SMASI measurement model and suggest this updated model has more informational value than the original model for capturing minority stress.

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Minority Stress as a Multidimensional Predictor of LGB+ Adolescents’ Mental Health Outcomes

Cited by 9 publications

References 59 publications

The effects of sexual and gender minority stress on relationship functioning: A meta‐analysis

The effects of sexual and gender minority stress on relationship functioning: A meta‐analysis

What Are You Worried About? Content and Extent of Worry in Autistic Adults

Validating the Structure of Proximal and Distal Factors within the Sexual Minority Adolescent Stress Inventory

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