Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Sexual Minority-Related Victimization as a Mediator of Mental Health Disparities in Sexual Minority Youth: A Longitudinal Analysis

Journal of Youth and Adolescence volume 42, pages 394–402 (2013)Cite this article

Abstract

Sexual minority youth (youth who are attracted to the same sex or endorse a gay/lesbian/bisexual identity) report significantly higher rates of depression and suicidality than heterosexual youth. The minority stress hypothesis contends that the stigma and discrimination experienced by sexual minority youth create a hostile social environment that can lead to chronic stress and mental health problems. The present study used longitudinal mediation models to directly test sexual minority-specific victimization as a potential explanatory mechanism of the mental health disparities of sexual minority youth. One hundred ninety-seven adolescents (14–19 years old; 70 % female; 29 % sexual minority) completed measures of sexual minority-specific victimization, depressive symptoms, and suicidality at two time points 6 months apart. Compared to heterosexual youth, sexual minority youth reported higher levels of sexual minority-specific victimization, depressive symptoms, and suicidality. Sexual minority-specific victimization significantly mediated the effect of sexual minority status on depressive symptoms and suicidality. The results support the minority stress hypothesis that targeted harassment and victimization are partly responsible for the higher levels of depressive symptoms and suicidality found in sexual minority youth. This research lends support to public policy initiatives that reduce bullying and hate crimes because reducing victimization can have a significant impact on the health and well-being of sexual minority youth.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Fig. 1

References

  • Almeida, J., Johnson, R. M., Corliss, H. L., Molnar, B. E., & Azrael, D. (2009). Emotional distress among LGBT youth: The influence of perceived discrimination based on sexual orientation. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 38, 1001–1014.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Austin, S. B., Ziyadeh, N., Fisher, L. B., Kahn, J. A., Colditz, G. A., & Frazier, A. L. (2004). Sexual orientation and tobacco use in a cohort study of US adolescent girls and boys. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 158, 317–322.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bollen, K. A., & Curran, P. J. (2006). Latent curve models: A structural equation perspective. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bontempo, D. E., & D’Augelli, A. R. (2002). Effects of at-school victimization and sexual orientation on lesbian, gay, or bisexual youths’ health risk behavior. Journal of Adolescent Health, 30, 364–374.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bostwick, W. B., Boyd, C. J., Hughes, T. L., & McCabe, S. E. (2010). Dimensions of sexual orientation and the prevalence of mood and anxiety disorders in the United States. American Journal of Public Health, 100, 468–475.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). (2011). Morbidity and mortality weekly report: Sexual identity, sex of sexual contacts, and health-risk behaviors among students in grades 9–12: Youth risk behavior, surveillance, selected sites, United States, 2001–2009, Early release, Vol. 60.

  • Feinstein, B. A., Goldfried, M. R., & Davila, J. (2012). The relationship between experiences of discrimination and mental health among lesbians and gay men: An examination of internalized homonegativity and rejection sensitivity as potential mechanisms. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 80, 917–927.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Friedman, M. S., Marshal, M. P., Guadamuz, T. E., Wei, C., Wong, C. F., Saewyc, E. M., et al. (2011). A meta-analysis of disparities in childhood sexual abuse, parental physical abuse, and peer victimization among sexual minority and sexual nonminority individuals. American Journal of Public Health, 101, 1481–1494.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Garofalo, R., Wolf, C., Wissow, L. S., Woods, E. R., & Goodman, E. (1999). Sexual orientation and risk of suicide attempts among a representative sample of youth. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 153, 487–493.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Haas, A., Eliason, M., Mays, V. M., Mathy, R. M., Cochran, S. D., D’Augelli, A. R., et al. (2011). Suicide and suicide risk in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender populations: Review and recommendations. Journal of Homosexuality, 58, 10–51.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hatzenbuehler, M. L. (2011). The social environment and suicide attempts in lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth. Pediatrics, 127, 896–903.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hayes, A. F. (2012). PROCESS: A versatile computational tool for observed variable mediation, moderation, and conditional process modeling [White paper]. Retrieved from http://www.afhayes.com/public/process2012.pdf.

  • Hershberger, S. L., & D’Augelli, A. R. (1995). The impact of victimization on the mental health and suicidality of lesbian, gay, and bisexual youths. Developmental Psychology, 31, 65–74.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hughes, T., Szalacha, L. A., & McNair, R. (2010). Substance abuse and mental health disparities: Comparisons across sexual identity groups in a national sample of young Australian women. Social Science and Medicine, 71(4), 824–831.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • IOM (Institute of Medicine). (2011). The health of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people: Building a foundation for better understanding. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • MacKinnon, D. P. (2008). Introduction to statistical mediation analysis. New York: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • MacKinnon, D. P., Warsi, G., & Dwyer, J. H. (1995). A simulation study of mediated effect measures. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 30, 42–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marshal, M. P., Dietz, L. J., Friedman, M. S., Stall, R., Smith, H. A., McGinley, J., et al. (2011). Suicidality and depression disparities between sexual minority and heterosexual youth: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Adolescent Health, 49, 115–123.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Marshal, M. P., Friedman, M. S., Stall, R., King, K. M., Miles, J., Gold, M. A., et al. (2008). Sexual orientation and adolescent substance use: A meta-analysis and methodological review. Addiction, 103(4), 546–556.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McCormack, M. (2012). The declining significance of homophobia: How teenage boys are redefining masculinity and heterosexuality. Oxford: New York.

    Book  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, 674–697.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Poteat, V. P., & Espelage, D. L. (2007). Predicting psychosocial consequences of homophobic victimization in middle school students. Journal of Early Adolescence, 27, 175–191.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Poteat, V. P., Mereish, E. H., DiGiovanni, C. D., & Koenig, B. W. (2011). The effects of general and homophobic victimization on adolescents’ psychosocial and educational concerns: The importance of intersecting identities and parent support. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 58, 597–609.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Radloff, L. S. (1977). The CES-D scale: A self-report depression scale for research in the general population. Applied Psychological Measurement, 1, 385–401.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Remafedi, G., French, S., Story, M., Resnick, M. D., & Blum, R. (1998). The relationship between suicide risk and sexual orientation: Results of a population-based study. American Journal of Public Health, 88, 57–60.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Russell, S. T., & Joyner, K. (2001). Adolescent sexual orientation and suicide risk: Evidence from a national study. American Journal of Public Health, 91, 1276–1281.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Russell, S. T., Ryan, C., Toomey, R. B., Diaz, R. M., & Sanchez, J. (2011). Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender adolescent school victimization: Implications for young adult health and adjustment. Journal of School Health, 81, 223–230.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ryan, C., Russell, S. T., Huebner, D., Diaz, R., & Sanchez, J. (2010). Family acceptance in adolescence and the health of LGBT adults. Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing, 23, 205–213.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Savin-Williams, R. C. (2005). The new gay teenagei. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shields, J. P., Whitaker, K., Glassman, J., Franks, H. M., & Howard, K. (2012). Impact of victimization on risk of suicide among lesbian, gay, and bisexual high school students in San Francisco. Journal of Adolescent Health, 50, 418–420.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Shrout, P. E., & Bolger, N. (2002). Mediation in experimental and nonexperimental studies: New procedures and recommendations. Psychological Methods, 7, 422–445.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Swearer, S. M., Turner, R. K., Givens, J. E., & Pollack, W. S. (2008). “You’re so gay!”: Do different forms of bullying matter for adolescent males? School Psychology Review, 37, 160–173.

    Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2012). Healthy People 2020. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from http://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/resources-and-publications/healthy-people-2020.html.

  • Williams, T., Connolly, J., Pepler, D., & Craig, W. (2005). Peer victimization, social support, and psychosocial adjustment of sexual minority adolescents. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 34, 471–482.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This research was funded by a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (R01-DA026312; PI: Michael Marshal) and the first author was supported by a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (T32-MH015169; PI: Gale Richardson).

Author Contributions

CB conducted all data analyses and wrote most of the content contained in the manuscript. MM is the principal investigator on the project from which the data were derived. MM assisted with data analysis and manuscript preparation. DC is a co-investigator on the larger project from which the data were derived and director of one of the recruitment sites. DC assisted with participant recruitment and manuscript preparation. GS is the director of one of the recruitment sites, assisted in recruitment, and manuscript preparation. MF: assisted with hypothesis development and manuscript preparation.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA

    Chad M. Burton & Michael P. Marshal

  2. Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, USA

    Deena J. Chisolm

  3. Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA

    Gina S. Sucato

  4. Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA

    Mark S. Friedman

  5. Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, 3811 O’Hara St., Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA

    Chad M. Burton

Authors
  1. Chad M. Burton
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Michael P. Marshal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Deena J. Chisolm
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Gina S. Sucato
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Mark S. Friedman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Chad M. Burton.

Additional information

All authors made significant contributions to the research presented in this article.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Burton, C.M., Marshal, M.P., Chisolm, D.J. et al. Sexual Minority-Related Victimization as a Mediator of Mental Health Disparities in Sexual Minority Youth: A Longitudinal Analysis. J Youth Adolescence 42, 394–402 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-012-9901-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-012-9901-5

Keywords

search

Navigation