Oak Amphitheatre Oral Abstracts
June 01, 2019 10:45 AM - 12:00 Noon(America/Los_Angeles)
20190601T1045 20190601T1200 America/Los_Angeles Concurrent Session 5 - Stress and Stigma

Session Chair

Brian Mustanski, PhD, Director, Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing, Northwestern University

Oak Amphitheatre 2019 National LGBTQ Health Conference nationalLGBTQHealthConference@gmail.com
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Session Chair

Brian Mustanski, PhD, Director, Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing, Northwestern University



“It's a fact of my life that I am black. It's now a fact of her life that she is in a relationship with a black person”: A mixed-methods approach to understanding stress and resilience in queer women’s interracial/interethnic couples
OralIntersections of Race/Ethnicity and LGBTQ Health 10:45 AM - 12:00 Noon (America/Los_Angeles) 2019/06/01 17:45:00 UTC - 2019/06/01 19:00:00 UTC
Background. Queer women (e.g., lesbian, bisexual, queer, trans/nonbinary) face unique stressors related to their marginalized status. Acute and chronic minority stressors may have negative effects on both individuals and couples. Research has tended to focus on minority stressors experienced by individuals, but little research has examined couple-level minority stressors (i.e., stressors emanating from stigmatization of same-sex/gender relationships). Little research has examined stress within same-sex/gender interracial/interethnic couples, however some research suggests that the differential levels of marginalization and privilege in such relationships can add additional stress. Using an intersectional framework, we will simultaneously examine both individual- and couple-level stressors, relationship well-being, and mental health among women in same-sex/gender interracial/interethnic relationships.

Methods. Data for this study (recruitment ongoing) come from the SOQIR study, a study ofdiversewomen in same-sex/gender relationships living in the New York City area recruited for: 1) a large online survey (N≃354 individuals); and 2) qualitative interviews with couples (N=8 couples). The on-line survey included questions about relationship quality, general and minority stressors, discrimination, microaggressions, and mental health. In-person qualitative interviews were conducted with couples and with each member of the couple separately. Couple interviews used the Relationship Timeline Method— in which couples jointly created a timeline of their relationships—to examine key stressors across their relationship landscapes. Following the timeline interviews, partners were interviewed separately to better understand individuals’ experiences.
 
Results. Data collection will be completed by January 2019. We will analyze quantitative and qualitative data in concert to examine stressors in queer women’s relationships and their associations with relationship quality and mental health. Preliminary qualitative findings suggest that same-sex/gender couples in NYC experience high levels of stress and that coping with such stressors has deleterious effects for both individuals and couples. Unique stressors facing interracial/interethnic couples centered on the effects of different levels of outness/concealment, challenges in talking about racism and privilege, heightened racism and xenophobia under the current presidential administration, and familial stress on each individual and on the couple. Preliminary quantitative findings suggest that individuals in interracial/interethnic couple relationships report significantly higher levels ofdepression, adulthood stress, childhood stress, and microaggressions than other couples. Participants in interracial/interethnic relationships also reported lower familial support. 

Discussion. In the U.S., almost half of queer women are in cohabiting or married relationships, but little research has focused on these relationships. Far less well understood are the stressors and strains on queer women’s interracial/interethnic relationships. However, because these relationships exist within a broader context of multiple forms of oppression, using an intersectional framework is critical for understanding. Our findings highlight important areas for individual- and couple-level interventions.
Presenters
CV
Cindy Veldhuis
Postdoctoral Fellow, Columbia University
Co-Authors
TH
Tonda Hughes
Columbia University
Stigma in Supportive Online Spaces: Special Challenges for Non-monosexual and Non-binary Well-Being
No preferenceResiliency and Healthy Relationships 10:45 AM - 12:00 Noon (America/Los_Angeles) 2019/06/01 17:45:00 UTC - 2019/06/01 19:00:00 UTC
Background
Stigmatization from outside groups alone can already have serious effects on LGBTQ+ wellbeing, ranging from decreased engagement with the health care system to decreases in self-efficacy and life satisfaction, which can in turn have long-term effects on physical and mental health. For those whose intersectional identities can also be impacted by intragroup stigma, such as those who identify as non-monosexual (e.g., bisexual, pansexual, and queer) and face stigma from straight and monosexual queer people alike, these effects can be even more pronounced. As such, non-monosexual populations, and especially those with even more layered identities (e.g., bisexual nonbinary people) have an extra incentive to carefully manage disclosure of their potentially intragroup-stigmatized identities, even within online spaces that may broadly be considered supportive for queer people. Understanding how intragroup stigma can be enabled and amplified by the technical structures and pre-existing behavioral norms of online spaces is crucial to understanding and mitigating intragroup stigmatization while increasing the benefits of engaging with affirming online communities, such as social support and increased resiliency.
Method
In order to address these issues, we conducted an eight-week Asynchronous Remote Community via Facebook group with a diverse population of 27 individuals who identify as non-monsexual. Each week had a core prompt, spanning methods from diary writing to visual elicitation, and the entire data collection period was followed up by in-depth interviews. Additionally, participants interacted with one another within the Facebook group, allowing for observation of the relevant group dynamics.
Results
Our results point towards the role of moderation and codes of conduct that specifically address doubly-stigmatized communities in whether an online space is positive for participants’ mental health. In particular, the presence of strong, well-coordinated advocates as moderators provided protection and a sense of exploratory freedom to those whose identities were most stigmatized (e.g. non-binary individuals). Additionally, participating in these online spaces can force a decision between being an advocate for one’s identity or protecting one’s own mental health. Being an advocate often opens people up to more possibilities for negative mental health outcomes. However, protecting their own mental health, usually by self-censoring, negates many of the protective benefits of participating in a so-called supportive space. This is a crucial tension, and appears to be an additional source of stress for highly stigmatized individuals.
Discussion
Our findings contribute to the literature on how the well-being of LGBTQ+ individuals is impacted not just by the social interactions they have online, but by the combination of the technical structures they take place in and the group dynamics fostered by these online infrastructures. Additionally, these findings complicate our understandings of how the interactions that take place in nominally supportive online spaces might influence LGBTQ+ social media users overall well-being, beyond more obvious bullying behaviors. Finally, these findings provide an in-depth approach to the underserved bisexual and nonbinary communities, as the literature on computing’s impact on LGBTQ+ well-being thus far has been focused on cisgender gay men.
Presenters
AW
Ashley Marie Walker
Northwestern University
Co-Authors
MD
Michael DeVito DeVito
1121 Church Street, Northwestern University Social Media Lab
Effects of microaggressions on health outcomes among racially diverse bisexual women
PosterIntersections of Race/Ethnicity and LGBTQ Health 10:45 AM - 12:00 Noon (America/Los_Angeles) 2019/06/01 17:45:00 UTC - 2019/06/01 19:00:00 UTC
Background: An emerging body of literature demonstrates that bisexual women experience physical and mental health disparities when compared to their heterosexual and lesbian counterparts. Less is known about the cause of such disparities, including within-group differences that could illuminate relevant risk factors for bisexual women specifically. For example, the racial homogeneity of many extant studies (i.e., they are overwhelmingly White) precludes analyses that consider health outcomes at the intersections of minoritized racial and sexual identities. Bisexual women of color are subject to unique stigmas, prejudice, and discrimination, such as racial discrimination from LGBT communities and heterosexism from communities of color. Though bisexual women report experiencing unique microaggressions, few studies have empirically tested relationships between daily-level microaggressions and subsequent health outcomes. Methods: The Women’s Daily Experiences Study was designed to test associations between microaggressions and health among a diverse group of bisexual women. We recruited 112 racially and ethnically diverse adult women to assess these relationships using an innovative e-diary method. Eligible participants were 25 and older, bisexual-identified, women (cisgender or transgender), located in a major metro area, and had daily access to the internet. Participants completed a baseline survey that assessed lifetime, past year, and past two-week depression; past two-week anxiety symptomatology; history of experiencing LGBQ microaggressions; and the LGBT People of Color Microaggressions scale, which was completed only by women of color. After the baseline, participants completed 28 daily surveys regarding their daily affect, somatic complaints, substance use, and incidents of racial, gender-based, and sexual orientation microaggressions. We present cross-sectional findings as well as results from the daily surveys. Results: The final sample was 43.6% White (n=48), 26% Black/African-American (n=29), 16% Latina (n=18), and 13.6% multi/biracial or another racial identity (n=15). Cross-sectionally, lifetime sexual orientation microaggressions and LGBT POC microaggressions were positively associated with a number of poor health outcomes, including binge drinking, generalized anxiety (measured by GAD-7), and depression (measured by CES-D). All microaggressions were associated with higher anxiety symptomology and more binge drinking. At the daily level, microaggressions were associated with positive (b = 0.11, p = .002) and negative affect (b = 0.06, p = .01) Gender-based and race-based microaggressions had significant relationships with negative mood. Daily microaggressions also predicted more psychological and somatic complaints. Specific MAs were not significantly related to psychological symptom reports, but race-based (b = 0.02, p = .04) and gender-based MAs (b = 0.03, p < .001) significantly predicted more daily somatic complaints. Discussion: Future analyses will combine baseline and daily data to test for lagged effects of microaggressions on mood and health. Further studies are needed to explore the causes - and potential protective factors - of health disparities among bisexual people. Population-level data should examine LGB groups separately to avoid collapsing important differences between groups. Studies should also take into account the proportion of sexual minority groups of color in study samples and consider oversampling understudied minorities to elucidate differences between and within groups.
Presenters
BB
Bria Berger
Project Director, University Of Illinois At Chicago
Co-Authors Wendy Bostwick
Associate Professor, University Of Illinois At Chicago
AH
Amy Hequembourg
University At Buffalo
AS
Alecia Santuzzi
Northern Illinois University
A mixed methods study: Perceived discrimination, social support, and psychological well-being in Asian American lesbians, gays, bisexual, and transgender individuals
No preferenceIntersections of Race/Ethnicity and LGBTQ Health 10:45 AM - 12:00 Noon (America/Los_Angeles) 2019/06/01 17:45:00 UTC - 2019/06/01 19:00:00 UTC
The purpose of this mixed methods study is to identify socio-cultural factors in relation to mental health among Asian American lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals. Despite many studies focusing on LGB people of color (LGB-POC), few have highlighted the experiences of Asian American LGBT individuals regarding the significant impact of discriminatory experiences from sexual orientation and race/ethnicity on psychological morbidities and intersecting identity development and affirmation. This phenomenon could be explained by the lack of a culturally sensitive measure, aggregated data/limited sample size, structural/interpersonal racism, and the “model minority” myth, resulting in their unique and intersectional experiences being understudied. This present research overcame these limitations by focusing on the underlying mechanisms that led to mental health issues from multi-factors (guided by the Asian American Sexual Minority and Mental Health Framework), including: perceived racism, homophobia, outness, social support, and mental health stereotypes among Asian American LGBT individuals. The researcher conducted a sequential exploratory mixed methods study, which including: 1) 28 semi-structured cognitive qualitative interviews were conducted among Asian American LGBT individuals by exploring intersectional identities, social support, and mental health through common life experiences; and 2) A self-administrated, online survey with existing instruments and items generated from common themes from the qualitative narratives was delivered to assess the associations between discrimination, social support, acculturation, and mental health disparities among Asian American LGBTs in the U.S. In both studies, acculturative stress (intergenerational conflicts) in Asian American LGBT individuals was pervasive and it had negative impacts on outness and mental health conditions. When Asian American LGBT individuals sought support from various resources, including, but not limited to, build resilience, develop coping strategies, and engage communities in reducing stress from discriminatory experiences, it is crucial to identify direct factors (e.g., LGTB-related stress and events of racial discrimination) in relation to depression. The qualitative narratives manifested specific themes that related to stress and mental health among Asian American LGBT individuals to affirm intersecting identities. The overall results highlight the needs of assessing mental health and services in Asian American subgroups. Additionally, it is crucial to develop culturally competent measurements to capture stress from people with multiple marginalized identities in order to guide tailored intervention design and implement in this target population.
Presenters
HX
Hui Xie
Research Associate IV , Public Health Institute
Research Associate IV
,
Public Health Institute
Project Director
,
University of Illinois at Chicago
Northwestern University
Postdoctoral Fellow
,
Columbia University
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