A daily diary study of minority stress and negative and positive affect among racially diverse sexual minority adolescents.

Abstract

We conducted an intensive longitudinal study of sexual minority adolescents to address gaps in the literature, limitations in retrospective reporting, and test tenets of the minority stress model. We examined the frequency of daily minority stressors and their within-person associations with negative and positive affect. We also tested the moderating effects of depressive symptomology on these associations. Sexual minority adolescents (N = 94; 35.1% were bisexual; 31.9% were gender minority; 45.2% were racial/ ethnic minority), ages 12-18 years old (M = 16.1, SD = 1.5), were recruited from the community and completed a baseline questionnaire and then a 21-day daily dairy (82.5% response rate). Participants experienced at least one minority stressor, with an average of 16.96 minority stressors (SD = 18.7, Range: 0-83), over the 21-day monitoring period. Some minority stressors were more commonly experienced than others (e.g., vicarious minority stress) and most participants attributed their sexual orientation to these stressors. Participants also attributed other marginalized identities to these stressors (e.g., gender identity, race). Daily minority stressors were associated with greater negative affect but not positive affect. Participants had greater negative affect on days where sexual-orientation-specific minority stressors were endorsed compared to days where minority stressors were not reported. These associations were not moderated by depression symptomology. The results underscore that minority stressors are pervasive experiences of sexual minority adolescents' daily life and natural environment and they are associated with daily emotions. The findings have implications for the minority stress model and future research and interventions. Public Significance StatementThe findings of this study demonstrate that stigma and unique stressors are pervasive experiences in sexual minority adolescents' daily life, and these daily experiences are associated with greater negative affect.

A daily diary study of minority stressors, suicidal ideation, nonsuicidal self-injury ideation, and affective mechanisms among sexual and gender minority youth.

“…The nine-item EISS (Mereish et al, 2021) assessed external minority stress events, which are also known as distal minority stressors in the minority stress model (Meyer, 2003). The EISS was developed and validated for daily diary studies among SGMY and assesses a range of slight to more acute forms of minority stress (e.g., "People stared at me because of my identity" or "I was targeted or harassed because of my identity").…”

“…Minority stressors are pervasive and experienced in several domains (e.g., school, home) in SGMY daily lives (Mereish et al, 2021), and they are a risk factor for STB and NSSI among SGMY (Liu & Mustanski, 2012; Mereish et al, 2019; Poteat et al, 2011). For example, bullying, discrimination, or victimization related to one's sexual or gender identity are associated with STB and NSSI among SGMY (Blosnich & Bossarte, 2012; Burton et al, 2013; Muehlenkamp et al, 2015; Poteat et al, 2011).…”

“…The literature on the associations between minority stressors and negative affectivity has been mostly cross-sectional; these studies indicate that minority stressors are positively associated with higher negative affect and emotion dysregulation (Borders et al, 2014; Frost & Fingerhut, 2016; Hatzenbuehler, 2009; Lewis et al, 2014; Liao et al, 2015; Meyer, 2003; Szymanski et al, 2014). Recent daily diary and ecological momentary assessment research among SGMY found that minority stressors are associated with greater same-day and momentary negative affect (Kiekens & Mereish, 2022; Mereish et al, 2021Mereish, Parra, et al, 2022) and lower momentary positive affect (Mereish, Treloar Padovano, & Parlette, 2022) . Daily diary studies among sexual minority adults also document that daily minority stressors are associated with lower positive affect (Flanders, 2015; Livingston et al, 2020; Mohr & Sarno, 2016).…”

Diversity as a Solution to Health Inequities and Disparities

“…Institutional discrimination further amplifies minority stress by inserting bigoted or prejudicial practices in executive, legislative, and judiciary functions of a society; such practices oppress groups seen as inferior, placing them at stark disadvantage (Williams, Lawrence, & Davis, 2019). Finally, interpersonal discrimination causes minority stress through emotional and cognitive dysregulations issuing from direct or indirect (i.e., vicarious) internalization of multiple personal, familial, or community-based microaggressions (Davis et al, 2022; Mereish et al, 2021; Roach et al, 2023). Such discrimination-induced minority stress leads to observed disparities in mental and physical health outcomes (Budhwani & De, 2019; Carter et al, 2019; Cave et al, 2020; Williams, Lawrence, Davis, & Vu, 2019).…”

The association between sexual orientation discrimination and drinking among men who have sex with men: Results from an ecological momentary assessment study.

“…To date, several studies have utilized EMA procedures when investigating the role of discrimination in the lives of MSM (Eldahan et al, 2016; Mereish et al, 2021; Rendina et al, 2018). A notable example is the work of Livingston et al (2017).…”