Lgbtq+ Identity-Related Abuse During Childhood And Associations With Depression And Suicide Behavior: Role Of Adulthood Cisheterosexism And Expressive Suppression, Ruby Charak, Ines Cano-Gonzalez, Roman Ronzon-Tirado, Rachel M. Schmitz, Jennifer Tabler, Sidsel Karsberg, Ayleen Flores, Julian D. Ford

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Exposure to minority stressors specific to LGBTQ+ individuals, such as heterosexism and cissexism (or cisheterosexism) is not covered under the traditional adverse childhood experiences framework. This is important because childhood identity-related abuse by a parent/caregiver can lead to mental health challenges in later life through the adoption of maladaptive coping mechanisms.

Objective: The present study aimed to examine the role of cisheterosexism and expressive suppression as serial mediators in the associations between identity-related abuse and depressive symptoms and suicide behavior.

Participants and setting: Participants included 563 LGBTQ+ identifying adults between 18 and 64 years (M = 30.02, SD = …

An Exploration Of Queer Women's Relationship With The Body And Physical Activity, Jade A. Bailey

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Traditional physical activity contexts are male-dominated, cis-heteronormative, and perpetuate Western beauty standards. Research has identified that queer women experience the lowest rates of physical activity participation, compared to other LGBTQ+ groups. The present study investigated the relationship between queer women’s (N = 70) body image, physical activity behaviour, and experiences. Participants completed one virtual focus group and four themes were identified: The Queer Women’s Body is Political; (in)Visibility of Sexual and Gender Identity in Physical Activity; Hypervigilance to Maintain Safety and Reduce Perpetuating Gender-Based Violence; and Desire for Spaces that Foster Safety, Belonging, and Connection. Findings revealed that queer …

Evaluation Of A Brief Act Intervention For Reducing Depression And Anxiety Symptoms In Sexual And Gender Minority Adults, Allie Mann

Dissertations

Sexual and gender minority individuals (SGM) are at increased risk for psychological disorders compared to the general population. Despite this well-documented disparity in mental health outcomes, there is a stark lack of treatment studies examining SGM mental health. An accumulation of research has demonstrated that the source of this disparity is increased exposure of SGM individuals to stigma-related minority stress. It is necessary to examine psychological pathways that are impacted by stigma and the treatments that can reduce psychological distress in this population. Currently, we do not have the research evidence to answer the questions of if current evidence-based treatments …

The Impact Of Couple Minority Stress And Perceived Relationship Equity On Relationship Satisfaction Of Women In Same-Gender Relationships, Rebekah Malott

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to test two hypotheses (H1: relationship satisfaction will mediate the relationship between perceived relationship equity and potential relationship dissolution in women in same-gender relationships. H2: Relationship satisfaction will mediate the relationship between perceived minority stressors and potential relationship dissolution in women in same-gender relationships). Participants who met the demographic profile and consented to the study were asked to complete five questionnaires: relationship equity (Kurdek, 1998), couple minority stress (Neilands et al., 2019), relationship satisfaction (Funk & Rogge, 2007), potential relationship dissolution, and demographics. The results showed that relationships satisfaction was a partial mediator between …

The Effect Of Minority Stress On Sexual Minority College Students' Mental Health: The Role Of General Social Support And Sexuality-Specific Social Support, Lee A. Golembiewski

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Sexual minority (SM) college students continue to face greater mental health problems relative to their heterosexual peers (Woodford et al., 2014; Wilson & Liss, 2022). According to minority stress theory, SM individuals face distal (e.g., heterosexist discrimination) and proximal (e.g., expectations of rejection, internalized homophobia, and concealment) stressors related to their SM identity which can have negative effects on their mental health (Douglass & Conlin, 2020; Meyer, 2003). However, social support has been hypothesized to help protect against the effects of minority stress experienced by SM individuals (Cohen & Wills, 1985; Moody & Smith, 2013). Most of the existing research …

Stress Levels Of Bisexual Individuals In Mixed-Orientation Relationships, Amanda Bartley

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Binegativity, the negative perceptions, assumptions, and discrimination experienced by bisexual individuals, is associated with adverse health outcomes including higher rates of mood and anxiety disorders. There is a growing body of research on bisexuality, but there remains little research investigating the risk and protective factors, and the mental health outcomes of bisexual individuals in mixed-orientation relationships. The current study aimed to fill the gaps of the extant research, investigating if social support, outness of bisexual identity, satisfaction with communication between partners, and centrality of group membership and ingroup ties to the LBGT community moderate the relationship between experiences of negativity …

The Impact Of Poorly Facilitated Anti-Racist Conversations, Brandon Kirkwood

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

It is well established that the graduate school experience is significantly different for students of color; on top of a rigorous training program, they face additional distinct challenges including racism, discrimination, and feelings of isolation. Insidious Trauma theory provides the framework for this quantitative exploration assessing the impact of poorly facilitated anti-racist conversations on the physical and emotional wellbeing of clinical psychology graduate students of color. George Floyd’s murder, among many other incidents of racial injustice, was a powerful catalyst that propelled academic institutions into action. Anti-racist dialogue became the intentional focus of graduate classes almost overnight. Well-meaning but insufficiently-prepared …

Internalized Transphobia And The Development Of Disordered Eating Behaviors In Gender Diverse Adults, Bonnie Kester

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Gender diverse individuals experience a multitude of oppressive interactions within our society and receive incessant messages of invalidation, oppression, and aggression. These chronic stressors have been shown to increase the risk of developing disordered eating behaviors within this population. The current study aims to explore how internalized transphobia may affect the development of disordered eating behavior as viewed through the Minority Stress Framework. This study explored the lived experience of being gender diverse in our society and how this may relate to the development of disordered eating behavior while also investigating protective factors. This study utilized a qualitative phenomenological methodology, …