Identity, minority stress and mental health

University Of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles CA

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Researchers have established that gay men and lesbians suffer from mental health problems more than heterosexuals. This disparity results in part from the unique set of stress experiences that gay men and lesbians face as members of a socially stigmatized minority group. Yet all lesbians and gay men do not experience similar levels of stress, nor do they react in similar ways to stressful events. The aim of the proposed research is to test predictions derived from a new conceptual model of gay-related stress in order to better understand individual differences in the gay-related stress experience. In this model, variations in gay/lesbian identity are hypothesized to influence exposure to gay-related stressors and to moderate the association between stress exposure and mental health outcomes. A critical goal of this research is to establish a new paradigm for examining individual differences in gay/lesbian identity using a dual-identity framework assessing affiliations with both gay and mainstream/heterosexual communities. Two studies, a cross-sectional survey and a two-week daily experience study, will test predictions derived from the proposed model associating gay/lesbian identity, gay-related stress exposure, and mental health.