Author: Kevin M. TabbPublisher:
ISBN:
Category : African American sexual minorities
Languages : en
Pages : 282
Book Description
Previous research on individuals who belong to a single stigmatized group indicates that experiencing stigma-related stressors like discrimination is related to increased mental illness and lower psychological well-being. A small body of literature on individuals with multiple stigmatized identities demonstrates that possessing more marginalized identities is associated with exposure to multiple stigma-related stressors and poorer mental health and well-being. However, the relationships between stigma-related stressors and outcomes differ based on identity and the type of stigma-related stressor encountered. The present study sought to improve our understanding of how exposure to multiple stigma-related stressors relates to psychological distress and psychological well-being by examining Black sexual minorities' experiences with stress related to racism, heterosexism, and sexism. Using data gathered from an internet-based survey, this study investigated each stigma-related stressor’s relationship with depression, anxiety, alcohol abuse, and psychological well-being. In addition, it examined the interactions between stigma-related stressors and investigated whether support seeking, accommodation, and escape coping moderate the relationships between stigma-related stress, psychological distress, and psychological well-being. Results showed that heterosexism-related stress was a significant predictor of depression for Black sexual minority women, with higher levels of heterosexism-related stress associated with higher levels of depression. No other statistically significant results were found for the study’s main hypotheses. Qualitative data gathered from open-ended questions about participants’ experiences of multiple minority stress were used to supplement the study’s findings. This data showed that Black sexual minority women described heterosexism and sexism as a stressor more often than Black sexual minority men. In addition, Black sexual minority men described racism as a stressor more often than Black sexual minority women. Limitations of the study are discussed as well as implications of the study’s findings for future research and public health interventions.