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Sexual Orientation Microaggressions And Psychological Well-Being: A Mediational Model, Cori E. Deitz

Dissertations

Prior research has indicated a strong connection between the experience of perceived discrimination and negative mental health outcomes. Sexual minority individuals experience higher rates of psychological distress compared to their heterosexual counterparts and this increased risk has been attributed to stigma-related stress. The psychological mediation framework proposed by Hatzenbuehler (2009) suggests that there are mediators of the relationship between stigma-related stress and mental health outcomes. This study investigated the mediating roles of expectations of rejection and internalized heterosexism in the relationship between the experience of subtle perceived discrimination (sexual orientation microaggressions) and psychological well-being. The model was tested among 233 …