Sexual minorities face stigmatizing experiences which can lead to disparities in physical and mental health, as well as social and economic resources. Additionally, research suggests that microaggressions, or small actions and comments that speak to a person’s prejudices, act as stigmatizing experiences and contribute to negative outcomes for the stigmatized. However, most studies of sexual minority health do not explore bisexual experiences uniquely, despite evidence that bisexuals have unique experiences of stigma and microaggressions. Those studies that do explore bisexual experiences find worse outcomes for bisexuals than their lesbian or gay counterparts. Thus, the current study developed a quantitative scale for assessing experiences of microaggressions specific to bisexuals. A 35-item scale formulated around previously identified microaggression types was validated using data from a sample of 232 bisexuals. Results indicated that bisexual microaggressions were distinct from homonegative microaggressions and that bisexual microaggressions were related to worse physical, psychological, and environmental quality of life. This scale is an additional tool that researchers may use in understanding how stigma experiences lead to negative outcomes, as well as to identify opportunities for alleviating disparities.

Background: Previous research has shown that sexual minority individuals (SM) are twice as likely to smoke, twice as likely to be overweight or obese, and less likely to be physically active than heterosexual persons; all of which place SMs at an increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). While information on CVD risk by race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status is well documented, there is scant literature examining race, gender, and the potential CVD risk in SMs. The purpose of this study was to examine CVD risk in sexual minorities. Method: The current study used data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). The Framingham multiple-risk assessment, which uses a calculation of age, smoking, BMI, and blood pressure, was used to predict vascular age and the risk of experiencing CVD event in the next 10 years. 54% of the sample was male, 62% white, and 4% identified as a SM. The sample was split into three groups: 1) 100% heterosexual (N=4363); 2) mostly heterosexual (N=509); and 3) SM (N=188). Results: There was a trend towards significance, p = .056, for mean differences in vascular age/actual age, for SM participants (M=10.07), compared to 100% heterosexual (M=9.1) and mostly heterosexual (M=8.66) participants. Mostly heterosexual participants were 1.62 times more likely, and SM participants were 1.97 times more likely to be current smokers when compared to 100% heterosexual participants. SM participants endorsed having significantly more drinks (M = 4.50) when compared to both 100% heterosexual (M = 3.80) and mostly heterosexual (M = 3.38) participants. SM participants were 1.7 times more likely to endorse having 5 or more drinks on one occasion. SM participants also reported significantly higher stress levels than the other two groups Conclusion: While the data for the current study did not provide sufficient evidence to suggest sexual orientation differences in Framingham risk scores, the findings remain noteworthy. SM showed increased risk in smoking and stress levels. Additionally, the Population-based longitudinal studies and surveillance data are essential and necessary in order to minimize disparities in risk factors and to reduce the likelihood of subsequent disease in SM population.

[pt] O estigma associado a identidades lésbicas, gays e bissexuais (LGB) é o que expõe essas pessoas à condição de vulnerabilidade psicossocial. A teoria do Estresse de Minorias defende que minorias sociais vivenciam estressores específicos adicionais aos estressores cotidianos, que independem de uma posição de vulnerabilidade social. Fatores individuais e do contexto podem funcionar como fatores de risco e/ou de proteção no comprometimento da saúde mental de pessoas LGB. Os objetivos desta dissertação são: 1) apresentar a teoria do Estresse de Minorias em indivíduos LGB por meio de uma revisão da literatura nacional e internacional; 2) verificar o impacto da orientação sexual nos três estressores de minorias (experiências de vitimização, homofobia internailizada e ocultação da orientação sexual); 3) testar o papel moderador do suporte social e do suporte familiar na relação entre as variáveis orientação sexual, experiências de vitimização, homofobia internalizada e ocultação da orientação sexual. e; 4) verificar os possíveis efeitos moderadores da conectividade comunitária na relação entre a homofobia internalizada e desfechos negativos de saúde mental. Não foram encontradas relações entre as variáveis acima citadas. Compreende-se que isto pode ter acontecido devido às características sociodemográficas da amostra (majoritariamente branca, com ensino superior incompleto ou completo, assumida, de classe média), avanços nas políticas públicas destinadas a pessoas LGB no Brasil nos últimos anos e a limitações dos estudos, cujas coletas foram conduzidas virtualmente, o que pode ter levado a um viés de resposta. / [en] The stigma associated with LGB identities is what puts the group in a condition of social vulnerability. The minority stress theory advocates the idea that social minorities have contact with specific stressors in addition to everyday stressors, which do not depend on a position of social vulnerability. Individual and environmental factors may act as risk and / or protective factors in impairing the mental health of LGB individuals. The objectives of this thesis are: 1) to present the Minority Stress theory in LGB individuals through a review of the national and international literature; 2) to verify the impact of sexual orientation on the three minority stressors (experiences of victimization, internalized homophobia and concealment of sexual orientation); 3) to test the moderating role of social support and family support in the relationship between the variables sexual orientation, victimization experiences, internalized homophobia and concealment of sexual orientation, and 4) to verify the possible moderating effects of community connectivity on the relationship between internalized homophobia and negative mental health outcomes. No relationship was found between the variables mentioned above. It is understood that this may have happened due to sociodemographic characteristics of the sample, advances in public policies aimed at LGB individuals in Brazil in the last years and limitations of the studies, which were conducted virtually, which may have led to a response bias.

<p>The purpose of this research study was to look at the effects of perceived discrimination and sexual positivity on relationship and sexual satisfaction of sexual minority couples. The present study hypothesizes that there will be a moderating relationship between sexual positivity and perceived discrimination; higher levels of sexual positivity will predict higher relationship and sexual satisfaction, and perceived discrimination will negatively effect relationship and sexual satisfaction of couples with lower sexual positivity. Individuals who identify as a sexual minority were asked to participate in this study and answer survey questions pertaining to the level of satisfaction they experience in their romantic relationship and their sexual relationship, how sex positive the individuals are, and the amount of perceived discrimination that they experience; all through a minority stress lens. The results suggest that neither perceived discrimination nor the interaction between perceived discrimination and sexual positivity has a significant impact on the relationship and sexual satisfaction of sexual minority populations. However, the results of this study do suggest a statistically significant relationship between sexual positivity and relationship and sexual satisfaction of sexual minority couples.</p>

Immigrants lose their unique psychosocial context when their experiences are subsumed under pan ethnic labels such as Hispanics, Latina/o, Asians or Africans. The stress from navigating different cultural contexts becomes problematic when immigrants operate within mainstream cultural norms that are in conflict with their traditional values. The number of Kenyan immigrants to the United States has steadily increased since the 1980s. The purpose of this descriptive phenomenological study was to study the lived experience of Kenyan immigrants by focusing on their integration experience and how the integration processes may have affected their mental health. Very few studies center on the psychological impact of the integration processes on Africans, while even fewer studies focus on Kenyans. The results of the study could be used by helping professionals to assist Kenyan immigrants with mental health problems as well as policy makers on immigration issues in both Kenya and the United States. Future Kenyan immigrants to the United States can also use this information as they prepare to migrate. The transition theory and social constructionism theory were used as the theoretical lens for this study. Data were collected using semi structured interviews conducted with 7 Kenyan men and women over the age of 18 from Northeastern United States who had immigrated from 1996 to the present day. Coding was used to analyze the data by cross-case analysis to search for themes and patterns. Data analysis revealed discrimination, alienation, shame, overcompensation, and cultural shock among other issues faced by immigrants, but from the Kenyan immigrants' perspective.

The aim of this study was to investigate potential mental health disparities in terms of self-rated depressive symptoms in between groups of LGBTI populations in Sweden and whether age, household income and long-standing illness could explain the possible differences. METHOD: A quantitative study with cross-sectional design was performed among the participants of the EU-LGBTI-II study (n = 2502) in a non-probability sample. Depression symptoms were measured by “Have you been feeling downhearted or depressed over the last two weeks?” and dichotomized into “depressive symptoms” and “no depressive symptoms” through the sample median value. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed, adjusting for household income, age and chronic illness. RESULTS: Prevalence of depressive symptoms was highest among trans (59.8%) and intersex individuals (58.3%) and lowest among gay (30.8%). Associations between sociodemographic factors and both LGBTI subgroups and depressive symptoms were also found. In the model, odds of having depressive symptoms were higher in Trans and Intersex (OR=1.76, 95CI 1.32-2.34) and lower in Gay individuals (OR=0.75, CI 0.57-0.99) as compared to lesbians (reference group). There was no statistically significant difference in depressive symptoms between bisexuals and lesbians. DISCUSSION: Depressive symptoms were more common among trans and intersex people. The results are mostly aligned with previous research of LGBTI mental health.

This thesis addresses a significant knowledge gap in the existing literature on bias-crime, which primarily focuses on minorities while neglecting the experiences of majorities. The primary objective of this study is to shed light on bias-crimes targeting majorities and compare their impact on fear of crime with those experienced by minorities. By analysing data from a sample of 1,616 victims, this research reveals that both minority and majority bias-crime victims exhibit similar patterns in terms of fear of crime. Notably, both groups experience heightened levels of fear compared to victims of non-bias crimes, with no significant difference observed between the two. Moreover, this study identifies several factors associated with fear of crime in both minority and majority victims, including recent victimisation, intersectionality, indirect victimisation, and the presence of visibility/visual identifiers. Although this thesis initially aimed to identify differences between the two groups, it ultimately found striking similarities. The discussion section critically examines the potential role of methodological limitations in shaping these findings and offers insights into their implications. By addressing this research gap, this thesis contributes to the criminological field by offering a more comprehensive understanding of bias-crime and its impact on fear of crime among both minority and majority populations.

No description available.

Stress is a common health problem among students, and individuals with a minority identity might also experience minority stress. Minority stress associated with skin color is a relatively unexplored topic in Sweden; thus this study aims to investigate a possible connection between students' skin color and their minority stress from a jobseeker's perspective. To investigate this, a digital survey consisting of 25 items was carried out. Participants (n=177)  were recruited through convenience sampling and categorized into three groups based on skin color (light, medium light/dark, dark). A one-way ANOVA was carried out to test the study's hypothesis that students with darker skin have a higher degree of minority stress prior to the job search process than students with lighter skin. The result showed a significant difference between the groups(F2,174=34.5, p&lt;.001, 2= .275) and a post-hoc test (Tukey) showed significant differences between each group. The result was consistent with the study's hypothesis and previous research. Furthermore, this study concludes that minority stress can give rise to mental illness. Additionally, the study concludes that Meyer's American framework, which aims to measure minority stress in gay and bisexual individuals, can be applied in a Swedish context with racist stress factors. For further research, a more representative sample would be beneficial, as well as a broadened perspective by examining how schools and workplaces work to counter minority stress, which in turn could prevent mental illness.

Les personnes LGBTQI+ migrantes portent plusieurs identités minoritaires et par ce fait, sont plus à risque de subir plusieurs formes de discrimination et d’oppression, tel que l’homo-lesbo-bitransphobie, le racisme, le sexisme et/ou la xénophobie. Bien qu’il y ait un intérêt grandissant à l’échelle internationale dans la recherche auprès des communautés LGBTQI+ migrantes, peu de recherches portent sur les pratiques de soutien par les pairs auprès de cette population. Ma démarche de recherche a été inscrite dans une recherche communautaire plus large menée par Dr. Edward Lee en partenariat avec AGIR (Action LGBTQI+ avec les immigrant·e·s et les réfugié·e·s). AGIR est un organisme communautaire qui soutient les personnes migrantes LGBTQI+ et en particulier les réfugié·e·s et les demandeur·se·s d’asile LGBTQI+ à Montréal. Nous avons mobilisé la théorie intersectionnelle et le modèle du stress minoritaire pour analyser un total de (N=14) entretiens qualitatifs semi-dirigés auprès des membres soutenu·e·s, membres du conseil d’administration, membres de l’équipe de soutien et employé·e·s qui sont actuellement ou ont été historiquement impliqués au sein d'AGIR. Des retombées positives du soutien par les pairs ont été constatées en lien avec la santé mentale et le bien-être, la navigation sociale et les relations sociales. Toutefois, des défis en lien avec l’ambiguïté du rôle du-de la pair·e, le manque de formations et de supervision, le risque de burnout et de trauma vicariant ont été identifiés. Finalement, nous avons formulé neuf recommandations en lien avec les récits des participant·e·s pour favoriser le modèle de soutien par les pair·e·s au sein d’AGIR. / LGBTQI + migrants have multiple minority identities and therefore are more at risk of suffering several forms of discrimination and oppression, such as homo-lesbo-bi-transphobia, racism, sexism and/or xenophobia. Although the interest in research with LGBTQI+ migrant communities is increasing internationally, there are few research projects on peer support practices among this population. My research approach is part of a larger community-based research led by Dr. Edward Lee in partnership with AGIR (Action LGBTQI + with immigrants and refugees). AGIR is a community organization that supports LGBTQI+ migrants and in particular LGBTQI + refugees and asylum seekers in Montreal. We mobilized intersectional theory and the minority stress model to analyze a total of (N = 14) qualitative semi-structured interviews with supported members, board members, support team members and employees currently or historically involved within AGIR. Positive results regarding AGIR’s peer support are related to mental health and well-being, social navigation and social relationships. However, challenges related to the ambiguity of the peer role, the lack of training and supervision, and the risk of burnout and vicarious trauma have been identified. Finally, we suggested nine recommendations in connection with participants’ experiences, to promote the peer support model within AGIR. / Las personas migrantes LGBTQI + portan varias identidades minoritarias y, por lo tanto, corren un mayor riesgo de sufrir diversas formas de discriminación y opresión, como la homo-lesbo-bi-transfobia, el racismo, el sexismo y/o la xenofobia. Aunque existe un creciente interés internacional en la investigación con comunidades LGBTQI+ migrantes, poca investigación se ha centrado en las prácticas de apoyo entre pares en esta población. El presente proyecto de investigación fue parte de una investigación comunitaria más grande dirigida por el Dr. Edward Lee en asociación con AGIR (Acción LGBTQI + con inmigrantes y refugiados). AGIR es una organización comunitaria que apoya a los migrantes LGBTQI + y en particular a los refugiados y solicitantes de asilo LGBTQI+ en Montreal. En este proyecto mobilizamos la teoría interseccional y el modelo de estrés minoritario para analizar un total de (N = 14) entrevistas semiestructuradas cualitativas con miembros usuarixs, miembros del consejo de administración, miembros del equipo de apoyo y empleadxs que están actualmente o han estado involucradxs históricamente en AGIR. Este proyecto a documentado efectos positivos del apoyo entre pares en relación con la salud mental y el bienestar, la navegación social y las relaciones sociales. Sin embargo, se han identificado desafíos relacionados con la ambigüedad del rol de los pares, la falta de capacitación y supervisión, el riesgo de burnout y de trauma indirecto. Finalmente, hicimos nueve recomendaciones relacionadas con las experiencias de los participantes para promover el modelo de apoyo entre pares dentro de AGIR.