Experiences of minority stress among lesbian and bisexual women in Rwanda.

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 196-211
Author(s):  
Patricia Moreland ◽  
Rebecca White ◽  
Ellen D. B. Riggle ◽  
Darius Gishoma ◽  
Tonda L. Hughes
Keyword(s):  
Minority Stress ◽  
Bisexual Women ◽  
And Bisexual

scholarly journals A Test of Feasibility and Acceptability of Online Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Women and Men at Risk for High Stress: Pilot Study

10.2196/15048 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (8) ◽  
pp. e15048
Author(s):  
Jennifer M Jabson Tree ◽  
Joanne Gayle Patterson
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Stress Reduction ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Minority Stress ◽  
High Stress ◽  
Bisexual Women ◽  
Pilot Studies ◽  
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction ◽  
And Bisexual

Background In conservative and rural areas, where antidiscrimination laws do not exist, lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people are at risk for excess stress arising from discrimination. Stress-reducing interventions delivered via innovative channels to overcome access barriers are needed. Objective This study aimed to investigate the feasibility and acceptability of online mindfulness-based stress reduction (OMBSR) with LGB people in Appalachian Tennessee at high risk for stress. Methods In 2 pilot studies involving pre-post test designs, participants completed 8 weeks of OMBSR, weekly activity logs, semistructured interviews, and surveys of perceived and minority stress. Results Overall, 24 LGB people enrolled in the study and 17 completed OMBSR. In addition, 94% completed some form of mindfulness activities daily, including meditation. Participants enjoyed the program and found it easy to use. Perceived stress (Cohen, perceived stress scale-10) decreased by 23% in women (mean 22.73 vs mean 17.45; t10=3.12; P=.01) and by 40% in men (mean 19.83 vs mean 12.00; t5=3.90; P=.01) between baseline and postprogram. Women demonstrated a 12% reduction in overall minority stress (Balsam, Daily Experiences with Heterosexism Questionnaire) from baseline to 12-week follow-up (mean 1.87 vs mean 1.57; t10=4.12; P=.002). Subscale analyses indicated that women’s stress due to vigilance and vicarious trauma decreased by 21% and 20%, respectively. Conclusions OMBSR may be a useful tool to help LGB people reduce general and minority-specific stress in socially conservative regions lacking antidiscrimination policies.

scholarly journals A Test of Feasibility and Acceptability of Online Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Women and Men at Risk for High Stress: Pilot Study (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer M Jabson Tree ◽  
Joanne Gayle Patterson
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Stress Reduction ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Minority Stress ◽  
High Stress ◽  
Bisexual Women ◽  
Pilot Studies ◽  
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction ◽  
And Bisexual

BACKGROUND In conservative and rural areas, where antidiscrimination laws do not exist, lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people are at risk for excess stress arising from discrimination. Stress-reducing interventions delivered via innovative channels to overcome access barriers are needed. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to investigate the feasibility and acceptability of online mindfulness-based stress reduction (OMBSR) with LGB people in Appalachian Tennessee at high risk for stress. METHODS In 2 pilot studies involving pre-post test designs, participants completed 8 weeks of OMBSR, weekly activity logs, semistructured interviews, and surveys of perceived and minority stress. RESULTS Overall, 24 LGB people enrolled in the study and 17 completed OMBSR. In addition, 94% completed some form of mindfulness activities daily, including meditation. Participants enjoyed the program and found it easy to use. Perceived stress (Cohen, perceived stress scale-10) decreased by 23% in women (mean 22.73 vs mean 17.45; t10=3.12; P=.01) and by 40% in men (mean 19.83 vs mean 12.00; t5=3.90; P=.01) between baseline and postprogram. Women demonstrated a 12% reduction in overall minority stress (Balsam, Daily Experiences with Heterosexism Questionnaire) from baseline to 12-week follow-up (mean 1.87 vs mean 1.57; t10=4.12; P=.002). Subscale analyses indicated that women’s stress due to vigilance and vicarious trauma decreased by 21% and 20%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS OMBSR may be a useful tool to help LGB people reduce general and minority-specific stress in socially conservative regions lacking antidiscrimination policies.

Gender Nonconformity and Minority Stress Among Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Individuals: A Meta-Analytic Review

2021 ◽  
pp. 174569162096876
Author(s):  
Brian C. Thoma ◽  
Kristen L. Eckstrand ◽  
Gerald T. Montano ◽  
Taylor L. Rezeppa ◽  
Michael P. Marshal
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Orientation ◽  
Minority Stress ◽  
Gay And Bisexual Men ◽  
Gender Nonconformity ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Bisexual Men ◽  
Bisexual Women ◽  
Sexual Orientation Identity ◽  
Analytic Review ◽  
And Bisexual

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals are less healthy than heterosexual individuals, and minority stress endured by LGB individuals contributes to these health disparities. However, within-groups differences in minority stress experiences among LGB individuals remain underexplored. Individuals are more likely to be categorized as LGB if they exhibit gender nonconformity, so gender nonconformity could influence concealability of sexual orientation among LGB individuals, carrying important implications for the visibility of their stigmatized sexual orientation identity and for how they experience and cope with minority stress. Through a meta-analytic review, we examined how gender nonconformity was associated with minority stress experiences among LGB individuals. Thirty-seven eligible studies were identified and included in analyses. Results indicate gender nonconformity is associated with experiencing more prejudice events, less concealment of sexual orientation, lower internalized homonegativity, and higher expectations of rejection related to sexual orientation among LGB individuals. Gender nonconformity is more strongly associated with experiencing prejudice events among gay and bisexual men than among lesbian and bisexual women. Gender nonconformity is systematically associated with minority stress experiences among LGB individuals, and future research must measure and examine gender nonconformity when investigating the role of minority stress in degraded health outcomes among LGB populations.

Relationship Quality and Domestic Violence in Women's Same-Sex Relationships: The Role of Minority Stress

2005 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 258-269 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberly F. Balsam ◽  
Dawn M. Szymanski
Keyword(s):  
Domestic Violence ◽  
Relationship Quality ◽  
Minority Stress ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Internalized Homophobia ◽  
Bisexual Women ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
Bisexual Woman ◽  
And Bisexual

Despite a large body of literature addressing relationship quality and domestic violence in women's same-sex relationships, few studies have empirically examined how stress specific to living as a lesbian or bisexual woman might correlate with these relationship variables. Degree of outness, internalized homophobia, lifetime and recent experiences of discrimination, butch/femme identity, relationship quality, and lifetime and recent experiences of domestic violence were assessed in a sample of 272 predominantly European American lesbian and bisexual women. Lesbian and bisexual women were found to be comparable on most relationship variables. In bivariate analyses, minority stress variables (internalized homophobia and discrimination) were associated with lower relationship quality and both domestic violence perpetration and victimization. Outness and butch/femme identity were largely unrelated to relationship variables. Path analysis revealed that relationship quality fully mediated the relationship between internalized homophobia and recent domestic violence.

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