The goal of this dissertation is to examine minority stress in the lives of gay and lesbian individuals and couples. To do this I conducted three separate, but empirically and conceptually related studies using data from 68 self-identified gay men and lesbians. Of these, 38 participants were coupled (n = 19 couples). All three studies were informed by minority stress theory. In the first study I examined individual (N = 68) and partner (n = 38) correlates and associations with concern for safety because of sexual orientation and harassment because of sexual orientation. Comfort with homosexuality was the strongest negative predictor of concern for safety because of sexual orientation. Further, involvement with gay related activities was found to be the strongest positive predictor of harassment because of sexual orientation. In the next two studies I examined the daily influence of minority stress for same-sex couples (n = 19). In the second study I examined how daily public displays (PDA) of affection are associated with daily relationship satisfaction, daily concern for safety because of sexual orientation, and daily harassment because of sexual orientation. I found daily PDA to be positively associated with concurrent and lagged relationship satisfaction, positively associated with concurrent and lagged concern for safety, and concurrent, lagged, and prospective increases in harassment because of sexual orientation. In the third and final study I examined the moderating effect of daily relationship satisfaction on the relationships between daily concern for safety and harassment in predicting daily physical health and well-being. I find that daily concern for safety and harassment are not associated with daily physical health suggesting that the negative effects of minority stress on physical health are more cumulative and do not fluctuate from day-to-day. I also find that daily relationship satisfaction does moderate the relationship between daily concern for safety and harassment and their daily well-being in unexpected ways. Collectively, this dissertation illustrates the complex influence of minority stress in the lives of gay and lesbian individuals and couples in two ways: first, as it pertains to how personal characteristics and behaviors (e.g. involvement with gay related activities and engagement in PDA) are associated with minority stress overall and on a daily basis; second, by illustrating the daily influence of minority stress on daily physical health and well-being. In conclusion, in these studies I highlight the complexity of life and how minority stress, stress that is unique to gay men and lesbian individuals and couples, complicates otherwise beneficial behaviors. Further, I illustrate the long and short term ramifications minority stress has on gay men and lesbian individuals and couples.

Psykisk ohälsa ökar för de flesta grupper i Sverige, men minoritetsgrupper är mer utsatta än andra. Syftet med vår studie var att ta reda på hur situationen ser ut för HBTQI-individer i Sverige och skapa underlag för att kunna underlätta för denna utsatta grupp. Utifrån Meyers minoritetsstressmodell och Neffs definition av självmedkänsla vill vi svara på frågan om det finns något samband mellan minoritetsstress och psykisk hälsa hos HBTQI-individer och om självmedkänsla i så fall medierar detta förhållande. Deltagarna bestod av svensktalande personer över 18 år som identifierar sig som HBTQI. Dessa rekryterades via Facebook och andra internetbaserade forum. Mätinstrumentet var en online-enkät där konstruktet psykisk hälsa definierades som grad av ångest- och nedstämdhetssymtomatologi och grad av livskvalitet. Enkäten mätte även konstrukten självmedkänsla och minoritetsstress. Resultaten visade att det finns ett signifikant positivt samband mellan graden av minoritetsstress och graden av ångest- och nedstämdhetssymtomatologi. Högre grader självmedkänsla var kopplat till lägre grader psykisk ohälsa och högre grader livskvalitet. Självmedkänsla var kopplat till proximal minoritetsstress men inte distal minoritetsstress. En mediationsanalys visade att självmedkänsla har en signifikant medierande effekt på förhållandet mellan minoritetsstress och psykisk ohälsa. Sammanfattningsvis visade sig självmedkänsla vara en viktig faktor för att förstå förhållandet mellan minoritetsstress och psykisk ohälsa och är därmed något som framtida interventioner mot psykisk ohälsa hos HBTQI-individer bör fokusera på. / Mental illness is increasing in Sweden, and minority groups are more at risk than others. The purpose of our study was to determine what the situation is for LGBTQ-individuals in Sweden and create a basis to aid this group. Based on Meyer's minority stress model and Neff’s definition of self-compassion, we want to answer the question regarding if there is a connection between minority stress and mental health in LGBTQ-individuals, and if self-compassion mediates this relationship. The participants consisted of Swedish-speaking people over the age of 18 that self-identify as LGBTQ. These were recruited via Facebook and other internet-based forums. The measurement was an online-survey where the construct mental health was defined as degree of anxiety- and depression symptomatology as well as quality of life. The survey also measured the constructs self-compassion and minority stress. The results showed a significant positive relationship between minority stress and degree of anxiety- and depression symptomatology. Higher degrees of self-compassion were related to lower degrees of mental illness and higher degrees of quality of life. Self-compassion was related to proximal minority stress but not distal minority stress. A mediation analysis showed that self-compassion has a significant mediating effect on the relationship between minority stress and mental illness. In conclusion, self-compassion was proven to be an important factor in understanding the relationship between minority stress and mental illness and is therefore something future interventions targeting mental health in the LGBTQ community should focus on.

Människor formar kärleksrelationer på många olika sätt. I dagens samhälle är seriellmonogami normen och det ansedda idealet. Idealiseringen av monogama relationermedför en nedvärdering av icke-monogama relationer och de personer som praktiserar dessa,däribland polyamorösa. Trots detta finns många fördelar med polyamorösa relationerdokumenterade. Våra huvudsakliga syften med den här studien var att få en förståelse förpolyamorösas upplevelser av mononormen samt undersöka vilka relationsfrämjande aspektersom finns i polyamorösa relationer. Vi genomförde tio semistrukturerade telefonintervjuer medpersoner som identifierade sig som polyamorösa. Utifrån denna datainsamling genomförde vitematisk analys. Analysen resulterade i tre större huvudteman: ”minoritetsupplevelser”,”relationsfrämjande aspekter” och ”polypositiva upplevelser”, samt några mindre teman. Vidrog slutsatsen att polyamorösa kan mötas av fördomar och praktiska begränsningar och attmononormen kan bidra till minoritetsstress som hanteras med eller tar sig uttryck iinternaliserade fördomar, skyddsbeteenden och pro-aktiva polynormaliserande handlingar. Vikunde också konstatera att polyrelationer präglas av öppen kommunikation, aktiva uttryck avkärlek och omsorg, villighet till anpassning, polypositiva attityder och en syn på obehagligakänslor som hanterbara. Polyamorösa upplever sina relationer som allmänt positiva medhänsyn till personlig utveckling, livsbejakande och positiva upplevelser avparamourer. Samhället, och speciellt de som arbetar inom människovårdande yrken, bör ta tillsig denna kunskap för att kunna säkerställa ett inkluderande bemötande av polyamorösa. / People form romantic relationships in various ways. In today’s society, serialmonogamy is the norm and the considered ideal relational form. The idealization ofmonogamous relationships implies a disparagement of non-monogamous relationships andthose who practice these, for example polyamorous people. In spite of this, many benefits ofpolyamorous relationships have been documented. Our main aims of this study was to gaininsight of how polyamorous people experience the mononorm, and to examine relationshippromoting aspects of polyamorous relationships. We conducted ten semi-structured telephoneinterviews with people who identified as polyamorous. Based on this collection of data weconducted a thematic analysis. The analysis resulted in three main themes: “minorityexperiences”, “relationship promoting aspects” and “poly-positive experiences”, and someminor themes. We concluded that polyamorous people can face prejudices and practicallimitations and that the mononorm can contribute to minority stress which is coped with orexpressed in internalized prejudices, safeguarding behaviors and poly normalizing actions. Wecould also state that polyamorous relationships are characterized by open communication,active expressions of love and care, willingness to make adjustments, poly-positive attitudesand a view of uncomfortable emotions as manageable. Polyamorous people experience theirrelationships as positive in general, taking into account personal development, life affirmationand positive experiences of paramours. Society, and especially human care professionals,should take this knowledge into consideration to be able to ensure an inclusive treatment ofpolyamorous people.

Several studies have shown that religious involvement has positive effects on human life. It creates a sense of belonging and hope for the future in the life of youths, it improves married life and prevents loneliness in the lives of older adults. However for LGBTQ people the effect of religious involvement is often the complete opposite experience. The majority of the religious groups in United States of America believe homosexuality is a sin and religious involvement for LGBTQ people results in being faced with oppression, internalized homophobia, anxiety, loneliness and depression. This study, through qualitative interviews, research shows how religious homophobia and transphobia have affected the participants' mental and emotional health and how it has affected their religious life.

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<p>This quantitative study sought to expand upon research surrounding the influence pornography use has on relationship and sexual satisfaction for gays and lesbians. Previous literature has primarily focused on the couple outcomes associated with pornography use for heterosexual romantic relationships. This research was conducted and conceptualized through the lens of queer and minority stress theory. It was hypothesized that amount of shared pornography use would be positively associated with relationship and sexual satisfaction for same-sex couples. Additionally, it was hypothesized that the relationship between amount of shared pornography use and relationship as well as sexual satisfaction for same-sex couples will be more strongly positively associated for a high level of acceptance of pornography use. Lastly, it was hypothesized that the relationship between the amount of shared pornography use and level of relationship as well as sexual satisfaction will be more strongly positively associated for women than men. Five of the six hypotheses were not statistically significant. The relationship between amount of shared pornography use and level of sexual satisfaction was strongly positively associated for higher levels of acceptance of pornography use. In addition, higher levels of acceptance of pornography use were related to higher levels of relationship satisfaction. Regarding control variables, relationship status was found to be significantly associated with relationship satisfaction. Participants who reported being either engaged or married indicated higher satisfaction with the current state of their romantic relationship than participants who were dating or cohabitating. Strengths and limitations, clinical implications, and future directions for research are explored.<br></p>

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a well-recognized public health issue with significant consequences for victims, families, communities, and society at large. Although IPV was once thought to be an almost exclusively male-to-female problem, in recent years it has become more widely understood that IPV also occurs in the context of women’s LGBTQ+ relationships. LGBTQ+ individuals experience ongoing stress because they live in a heterosexist society, termed minority stress, which has been associated with many negative sequelae including attachment insecurity and IPV. Thus, it is pertinent to examine how one’s context, specifically minority stress caused by oppression, may uniquely influence IPV in women LGBTQ+ couples. A sample of 64 LGBTQ+ identified women currently in same-gender relationships filled out self-report questionnaires on minority stress, attachment style, and IPV. Contrary to expectations, it was determined that two types of minority stress, internalized homophobia and experiences of discrimination and heterosexism, were not associated with physical or psychological IPV. However, internalized homophobia was significantly associated with attachment avoidance, but not attachment anxiety. Both attachment anxiety and avoidance were significantly associated with psychological, but not physical, IPV. Mediation analysis revealed an inconsistent significant mediation for the effect of internalized homophobia on psychological IPV; this occurs when the mediator acts as a suppressor variable or a variable that masks any direct effect of the independent variable on the dependent variable. In the current study, the overall indirect effect of internalized homophobia on psychological IPV through attachment avoidance and anxiety was significant. The direct effect of internalized homophobia on psychological IPV was significant but the association was negative, such that once attachment (the suppressor variable) was included in the model, lower internalized homophobia was associated with greater psychological IPV. Overall, internalized homophobia uniquely contributed to attachment insecurity, particularly attachment avoidance, which is a significant risk factor for IPV in women’s same-gender relationships The global COVID-19 pandemic onset occurred before data collection commenced, thus questions were added to measure related changes in psychological symptoms, relationship stress, and IPV related to the pandemic. Psychological symptoms including sadness, loneliness, anxiety, and grief increased in the current sample since the pandemic onset. Similarly, self-reported relationship stress due to work, childcare, and health increased since pandemic onset. An increase in relationship stress was significantly positively correlated with an increase in psychological IPV since the pandemic onset. Thus, there was already an impact on participant’s mental health and stress even within the first six months of the pandemic, although most participants did not report an increase in IPV at that time. Overall, the current study highlights the importance of attachment avoidance as a risk factor for IPV in women’s same gender relationships. Additionally, the startlingly high prevalence rates of IPV and discrimination among LGBTQ+ women speaks to the urgent need to continue fighting against oppression and heterosexism to reduce minority stress and to develop IPV resources that better serve the LGBTQ+ population. / Graduate

In Colorado in 2014, suicidal ideation or suicide attempts occurred up to 10 times more frequently among transgender persons than the general population. This reality occurred within a milieu of stigma that included transgender persons' negative perceptions of healthcare, a higher incidence of psychological distress, and an uncertain role for social isolation in their well-being. The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore the interactions between social isolation, supportive medical care, and psychological distress within the framework of Meyer's minority stress theory. Data were acquired from the 2014 Colorado Transgender Health Survey conducted by the One Colorado Education Fund (n = 417). These survey data were analyzed using multivariate techniques and structural equation modeling. Key findings were that psychological health and social integration were positively related (p < .001), supportive medical care and psychological health were positively related (p = .016) and influenced by race and gender identity (p = .05), and, social integration and supportive medical care were not significantly associated. Access to medical care and disease history influenced these relationships (p < .001), and 5 distinct gender identity/race groups emerged. The positive social change implications stemming from this study include recommendations for healthcare and policy-making bodies to improve understanding regarding gender and racial disparities in medical and psychological healthcare, to expand collection of gender identity and victimization data, to improve availability of adequate insurance coverage, and, to foster employment and housing equity. Implementation of these recommendations may improve the lives of transgender Coloradans.

<p>  </p> <p>LGBTQIA+ young adults face systemic and interpersonal marginalization and minoritization. These experiences occur not only in offline spaces but also in online contexts. However, online contexts also allow for LGBTQIA+ individuals to access social support that extends and bolsters the support they may receive offline. Previous studies tend to examine the relation between stress and support for LGBTQIA+ individuals using cross-sectional methods, despite the emphasis of previous theories such as minority stress theory on the occurrence of stressors on a daily, cumulative basis. The current study investigated how daily online marginalization stress experiences related to online experiences of social support for LGBTQIA+ young adults. Participants included 177 young adults, ages 18-29 and who identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community. </p> <p><br></p> <p>Participants completed baseline measures of demographics, lifetime experiences of marginalization stress, social media use and attitudes, perception of online social support, self-esteem, and mental health symptoms. Next, participants were prompted twice daily for 21 days to complete a survey about online marginalization stress experiences, general and LGBTQIA+-specific online social support experiences, and positive and negative affect. Finally, participants completed a follow-up survey measuring internalized stigma, community connectedness, self-esteem, and mental health symptoms. </p> <p><br></p> <p>Results suggested that online marginalization stress was related to daily affect but not to follow-up well-being outcomes. Online marginalization stress was also related to online general social support, but not LGBTQIA+-specific online support. General social support online was related to higher positive affect and lower negative affect, and LGBTQIA+-specific online support was related to higher positive affect, but both types of online social support were generally unrelated to follow-up outcomes. Low marginalization stress and low general social support together were associated with higher internalized stigma and lower self-esteem at follow-up. Differences in these effects generally emerged for individuals with marginalized sexual orientations and less so for individuals with marginalized gender identities. The results of the study suggest that daily online marginalization stress experiences are likely related to online social support, and that online social support is beneficial for daily affect. However, online social support may not be particularly beneficial for ameliorating the effects of online marginalization stress on affect or well-being. </p>

The gender binary is a pervasive idea in society which suggests that there only exist two genders – man and woman. The wide array of differing gender identities would suggest otherwise. Identifying as nonbinary means that you reject the gender binary and identify somewhere between, in both, or beyond the binary. However, research on nonbinary identities has been relatively scarce which suggests an importance of furthering the knowledge in the area. This study aims to examine how nonbinary students navigate their identity at university in Sweden. This is done by examining and trying to understand (1) their experience and treatment by peers and teachers, (2) how they manage these experiences at university, and (3) the experiences that obstruct and facilitate their navigation of their identity. To answer the aim, semi- structured interviews with 6 participants were conducted and analyzed with the help of thematic analysis. The empirical data was analyzed through the lens of cisnormativity, which refers to the idea that everyone’s gender identity is and should be congruent with the one assigned at birth. The findings shows that while nonbinary students in Sweden have generally good relations towards peers and faculty, they are all exposed to microaggressions in the form of misgendering, deadnaming, and invalidating experiences. To manage these discriminating interactions, they develop strategies in the form of preventive measures, avoiding confrontation, confronting behavior as well as the responsibility to educate. The experiences of facing these obstacles as well as the exclusion and erasure of nonbinary identities, was easier facilitated with the support and kinship from peers and faculty. These findings emphasize the importance of removing the burden of responsibility from nonbinary people by normalizing gender identities outside the binary and inviting them into the master narrative of cisnormativity.