Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Allostatic Load and the Wear and Tear of the Body for LGBTQ PoC

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Heart, Brain and Mental Health Disparities for LGBTQ People of Color

Abstract

To examine the physiological impact of intersectional discrimination for LGBTQ PoC, this chapter introduces the allostatic load framework to allow for such conceptualization. Indeed, substantial evidence supports a relationship between chronic stress exposure and negative health outcomes. Socially marginalized groups within the U.S. experience unique psychosocial stressors that pose serious psychological and physiological health risks. Using the minority stress framework, and specifying the importance of intersectionality, this chapter also details the available literature on the cumulative effects of marginalization on physiological functioning for LGBTQ PoC, by highlighting the limited literature on health outcomes linked to intersectional discrimination. Thus, this chapter focuses on using the AL model to conceptualize the cumulative impact of marginalization and discrimination for LGBTQ PoC.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
eBook
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 69.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Beckie, T. M. (2012). A systematic review of allostatic load, health, and health disparities. Biological Research for Nursing, 14(4), 311–346. https://doi.org/10.1177/1099800412455688

  • Brody, G. H., Lei, M. K., Chae, D. H., Yu, T., Kogan, S. M., & Beach, S. R. (2014). Perceived discrimination among African American adolescents and allostatic load: A longitudinal analysis with buffering effects. Child Development, 85(3), 989–1002. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12213

    Google Scholar 

  • Caceres, B. A., Brody, A. A., Halkitis, P. N., Dorsen, C., Yu, G., & Chyun, D. A. (2018). Cardiovascular disease risk in sexual minority women (18–59 years old): Findings from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2001–2012). Women’s Health Issues, 28(4), 333–341. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.whi.2018.03.004

    Google Scholar 

  • Caceres, B. A., Veldhuis, C. B., & Hughes, T. L. (2019). Racial/ethnic differences in cardiometabolic risk in a community sample of sexual minority women. Health Equity, 3(1), 350–359. https://doi.org/10.1089/heq.2019.0024

    Google Scholar 

  • Chou, T., Asnaani, A., & Hofmann, S. G. (2012). Perception of racial discrimination and psychopathology across three US ethnic minority groups. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 18(1), 74–81. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0025432

    Google Scholar 

  • Clark, R., Anderson, N. B., Clark, V., & Williams, D. (1999). Racism as a stressor for African Americans: A biopsychosocial model. The American Psychologist, 54(10), 805–816. https://doi.org/10.1037//0003-066x.54.10.805

    Google Scholar 

  • DuBois, L. Z., Powers, S., Everett, B. G., & Juster, R. P. (2017). Stigma and diurnal cortisol among transitioning transgender men. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 82, 59–66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.05.008

    Google Scholar 

  • Fattoracci, E. S., Revels-Macalinao, M., & Huynh, Q. L. (2020). Greater than the sum of racism and heterosexism: Intersectional microaggressions toward racial/ethnic and sexual minority group members. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1037/cdp0000329

  • Flentje, A., Heck, N. C., Brennan, J. M., & Meyer, I. H. (2019). The relationship between minority stress and biological outcomes: A systematic review. Journal of Behavioral Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-019-00120-6

  • Forde, A. T., Crookes, D. M., Suglia, S. F., & Demmer, R. T. (2019). The weathering hypothesis as an explanation for racial disparities in health: A systematic review. Annals of Epidemiology, 33, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annepidem.2019.02.011

    Google Scholar 

  • Gallo, L. C., Roesch, S. C., Bravin, J. I., Savin, K. L., Perreira, K., Carnethon, M. R., … Isasi, C. R. (2019). Socioeconomic adversity, social resources, and allostatic load among Hispanic/Latino youth: The study of Latino youth. Psychosomatic Medicine, 81(3), 305–312. https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0000000000000668

    Google Scholar 

  • García, J. J., Serpas, D. G., & Torres, Y. (2020). Taking it to hear: Preliminary investigation on the cardiovascular effects of racial/ethnic microaggressions in Latinx. Social Behavior Research and. Practice, 5(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.17140/SBRPOJ-5-120

    Google Scholar 

  • Geronimus, A. (1992). The weathering hypothesis and the health of African-American women and infants: Evidence and speculations. Ethnicity & Disease, 2(3), 207–221.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goosby, B. J., Malone, S., Richardson, E. A., Cheadle, J. E., & Williams, D. T. (2015). Perceived discrimination and markers of cardiovascular risk among low-income African American youth. American Journal of Human Biology, 27(4), 546–552. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajhb.22683

    Google Scholar 

  • Huynh, V. W., Huynh, Q. L., & Stein, M. P. (2017). Not just sticks and stones: Indirect ethnic discrimination leads to greater physiological reactivity. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 23(3), 425–434. https://doi.org/10.1037/cdp0000138

    Google Scholar 

  • Jacobson, R., Cohen, H., & Diamond, G. M. (2016). Gender atypicality and anxiety response to social interaction stress in homosexual and heterosexual men. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 45(3), 713–723. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-015-0528-y

    Google Scholar 

  • James, S. A., Hartnett, S. A., & Kalsbeek, W. D. (1983). John Henryism and blood pressure differences among Black men. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 6(3), 259–278. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01315113

    Google Scholar 

  • Juster, R. P., Doyle, D. M., Hatzenbuehler, M. L., Everett, B. G., DuBois, L. Z., & McGrath, J. J. (2019). Sexual orientation, disclosure, and cardiovascular stress reactivity. Stress, 22(3), 321–331. https://doi.org/10.1080/10253890.2019.1579793

    Google Scholar 

  • Juster, R. P., Hatzenbuehler, M. L., Mendrek, A., Pfaus, J. G., Smith, N. G., Johnson, P. J., … Pruessner, J. C. (2015). Sexual orientation modulates endocrine stress reactivity. Biological Psychiatry, 77(7), 668–676. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2014.08.013

    Google Scholar 

  • Juster, R. P., McEwen, B. S., & Lupien, S. J. (2010). Allostatic load biomarkers of chronic stress and impact on health and cognition. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 35(1), 2–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2009.10.002

    Google Scholar 

  • Kershaw, K. N., Lewis, T. T., Roux, A. V. D., Jenny, N. S., Liu, K., Peñedo, F. J., & Carnethon, M. R. (2016). Self-reported experiences of discrimination and inflammation among men and women: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. Health Psychology, 35(4), 343–350. https://doi.org/10.1037/hea0000331

    Google Scholar 

  • Lewis, T. T., Aiello, A. E., Leurgans, S., Kelly, J., & Barnes, L. L. (2010). Self-reported experiences of everyday discrimination are associated with elevated C-reactive protein levels in older African-American adults. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 24(3), 438–443. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2009.11.011

    Google Scholar 

  • Lick, D. J., Durso, L. E., & Johnson, K. L. (2013). Minority stress and physical health among sexual minorities. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 8(5), 521–548. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691613497965

    Google Scholar 

  • Lucas, T., Wegner, R., Pierce, J., Lumley, M. A., Laurent, H. K., & Granger, D. A. (2017). Perceived discrimination, racial identity, and multisystem stress response to social evaluative threat among African American men and women. Psychosomatic Medicine, 79(3), 293. https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0000000000000406

    Google Scholar 

  • Mays, V. M., Juster, R. P., Williamson, T. J., Seeman, T. E., & Cochran, S. D. (2018). Chronic physiological effects of stress among lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults: Results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Psychosomatic Medicine, 80(6), 551–563. https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0000000000000600

    Google Scholar 

  • McEwen, B. S. (1998). Stress, adaptation, and disease: Allostasis and allostatic load. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 840(1), 33–44. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.1998.tb09546.x

    Google Scholar 

  • McEwen, B. S. (2000). The neurobiology of stress: From serendipity to clinical relevance. Brain Research, 886(1–2), 172–189. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0006-8993(00)02950-4

  • McEwen, B. S., & Gianaros, P. J. (2010). Central role of the brain in stress and adaptation: Links to socioeconomic status, health, and disease. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1186, 190–222. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.2009.05331.x

    Google Scholar 

  • McEwen, B. S., & Stellar, E. (1993). Stress and the individual: Mechanisms leading to disease. Archives of Internal Medicine, 153(18), 2093–2101. https://doi.org/10.1001/archinte.1993.00410180039004

    Google Scholar 

  • Meyer, I. H. (2003). Prejudice, social stress, and mental health in lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations: Conceptual issues and research evidence. Psychological Bulletin, 129(5), 674–697. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.129.5.674

    Google Scholar 

  • Myers, H. F., Lewis, T. T., & Parker-Dominguez, T. (2003). Stress, coping, and minority health: Biopsychosocial perspective on ethnic health disparities. In G. Bernal, J. E. Trimble, A. K. Burlew, & F. T. L. Leong (Eds.), Handbook of racial & ethnic minority psychology (pp. 377–400). SAGE Publications Inc.. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781412976008.n19

    Google Scholar 

  • Outland, P. (2019). Biomarkers of allostatic load mediate stress and disease: A prospective structural equation model. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Colorado State University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parra, L. A., & Hastings, P. D. (2018). Integrating the neurobiology of minority stress with an intersectionality framework for LGBTQ-Latinx populations. New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, 161, 91–108. https://doi.org/10.1002/cad.20244

    Google Scholar 

  • Rhodes, S. D., Mann-Jackson, L., Alonzo, J., Bell, J. C., Tanner, A. E., Martínez, A. D., … Brooks, A. R. (2020). The health and well-being of Latinx sexual and gender minorities in the USA: A call to action. In A. D. Martínez & S. D. Rhodes (Eds.), New and emerging issues in Latinx health (pp. 217–236). Switzerland: Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-24043-1_10

    Google Scholar 

  • Rich, A. J., Williams, J., Malik, M., Wirtz, A., Reisner, S., DuBois, …, & Poteat, T. (2020). Biopsychosocial mechanisms linking gender minority stress to HIV comorbidities among Black and Latina transgender women (LITE plus): Protocol for a mixed methods longitudinal study. JMIR Research Protocols, 9(4), e17076. https://doi.org/10.2196/17076.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rodriquez, E. J., Sabado-Liwag, M., Pérez-Stable, E. J., Lee, A., Haan, M. N., Gregorich, S. E., … Nápoles, A. M. (2019). Allostatic load, unhealthy behaviors, and depressive symptoms by birthplace among older adults in the Sacramento area Latino Study on Aging (SALSA). Journal of Aging and Health. https://doi.org/10.1177/0898264319857995

  • Saban, K. L., Mathews, H. L., Bryant, F. B., Tell, D., Joyce, C., DeVon, H. A., & Janusek, L. W. (2018). Perceived discrimination is associated with the inflammatory response to acute laboratory stress in women at risk for cardiovascular disease. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 73, 625–632. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2018.07.010

    Google Scholar 

  • Salazar, C. R., Strizich, G., Seeman, T. E., Isasi, C. R., Gallo, L. C., Avilés-Santa, L. M., … Kaplan, R. C. (2016). Nativity differences in allostatic load by age, sex, and Hispanic background from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos. SSM-Population Health, 2, 416–424. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2016.05.003

    Google Scholar 

  • Sawyer, P. J., Major, B., Casad, B. J., Townsend, S. S., & Mendes, W. B. (2012). Discrimination and the stress response: Psychological and physiological consequences of anticipating prejudice in interethnic interactions. American Journal of Public Health, 102(5), 1020–1026. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2011.300620

    Google Scholar 

  • Sterling, P., & Eyer, J. (1988). Allostasis: A new paradigm to explain arousal pathology. In S. Fisher & J. Reason (Eds.), Handbook of life stress, cognition and health (pp. 629–649). John Wiley & Sons.

    Google Scholar 

  • Suvarna, B., Suvarna, A., Phillips, R., Juster, R. P., McDermott, B., & Sarnyai, Z. (2020). Health risk behaviours and allostatic load: A systematic review. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 108, 694–711. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.12.020

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Dyke, M. E., Baumhofer, N. K. I., Slopen, N., Mujahid, M. S., Clark, C. R., Williams, D. R., & Lewis, T. T. (2020). Pervasive discrimination and allostatic load in African American and White adults. Psychosomatic Medicine, 82(3), 316–323. https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0000000000000788

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, California State University, Fullerton, Fullerton, CA, USA

    Dylan G. Serpas

  2. Department of Psychology, School of Health and Community Well-Being, University of La Verne, La Verne, CA, USA

    James J. García

Authors
  1. Dylan G. Serpas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. James J. García
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, School of Health and Community Well-Being University of La Verne, La Verne, CA, USA

    James J. García

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2021 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Serpas, D.G., García, J.J. (2021). Allostatic Load and the Wear and Tear of the Body for LGBTQ PoC. In: García, J.J. (eds) Heart, Brain and Mental Health Disparities for LGBTQ People of Color. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-70060-7_4

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation