Stress and Coping among Stigmatized Populations

University Of Washington, Seattle WA

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by candidate): Elevated rates of mental disorders among stigmatized individuals have been hypothesized to be linked to the individual and cultural oppression experienced by this population. However, this "minority stress" hypothesis has not been adequately examined in empirical studies, in part due to the lack of a clear definition for this construct and the lack of a culturally-sensitive instrument to assess it. The proposed study will, in three components, develop a program of research for the applicant that will address the relationships between minority stress, coping, and mental health of populations stigmatized for reasons other than race/ethnicity or gender. First, the applicant will develop survey instruments to assess minority stress and culturally-specific coping processes. Second, these instruments will be used in an anonymous survey of stigmatized individuals examining stressors (traumatic events, minority stressors, and general stressors), coping (culturally-specific and general) and mental health outcomes (depression, anxiety, suicidality, PTSD, and substance use). Third, the applicant will work on a larger, NIMH-funded study of two-spirit Native Americans, utilizing innovative sampling strategies, in order to examine the construct of minority stress in a specific ethnic minority population while simultaneously gaining advanced skills and knowledge in the area of sampling methodology. Outcomes from all three studies may be used to advance the field of mental health research and treatment of stigmatized groups and may have public-policy implications.