Abstract
Sexual minority youth (i.e., lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth; LGB) of color have multiple minoritized identities, and few studies examine the implications of intersectional minority stressors for their prospective mental health. The current study tested three intersectional hypotheses: the additive hypothesis—racial discrimination and LGB victimization are independently associated with mental health; the multiplicative hypothesis—racial discrimination and LGB victimization interact in to exacerbate their negative association with mental health, and the inuring hypothesis—only racial discrimination or LGB victimization is associated with mental health. Data come from a sample of lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth of color (36% Black, 30% Latino, 26% Multi-racial, 4% Native American, and 3% Asian, Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander) from two U.S. cities, one in the Northeast (77%) and one in the Southwest, who were between ages 15–24 (M = 19) and surveyed four times over three years spaced nine months apart (N = 476; 38% bisexual; 67% free and reduced lunch; and 49% assigned female at birth). The multiplicative hypothesis was supported for depression symptoms, and the additive hypothesis was supported for suicidal ideation. Intersectional minority stressors undermine the mental health of sexual minority youth of color and warrant further investigation.
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Notes
The two acronyms LGB and SMY are used intentionally, because they reflect who is being references in cited studies.
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Funding
This work was supported by grant, P2CHD042849, Population Research Center, and by grant, T32HD007081, Training Program in Population Studies, both awarded to the Population Research Center at The University of Texas at Austin by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. This research uses data from the Risk and Protective Factors for Suicide among Sexual Minority Youth study, designed by Arnold H. Grossman and Stephen T. Russell, and supported by Award Number R01MH091212 from the National Institute of Mental Health. This research was also supported in part by the National Institute of Mental Health through a grant awarded to Allen B. Mallory grant number F31MH115608. The authors acknowledge generous support for Russell from the Priscilla Pond Flawn Endowment at the University of Texas at Austin.: This manuscript’s data will not be deposited. The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are not publicly available but are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
Data Sharing and DeclarationThis manuscript’s data will not be deposited. The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are not publicly available but are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
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A.M. conceived of the study, performed the statistical analyses, participated in the interpretation of the data and drafted the manuscript; SR designed and conducted the original data collection of the larger study, participated in the interpretation of the data and drafted the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Ethical Approval
The questionnaire and methodology for this study were approved by the University of Texas at Austin Institutional Review Board, 2015-06-0050; Risk and Protective Factors for Suicide Among Sexual Minority Youth (a.k.a. The SOGI-Q Health Study).
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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.
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The questionnaire and methodology for this study were approved by the University of Texas at Austin Institutional Review Board, 2015-06-0050; Risk and Protective Factors for Suicide Among Sexual Minority Youth (a.k.a. The SOGI-Q Health Study).
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Appendices
Appendix A. Attrition analysis for Wave 2
Not Completed | Completed | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
n | Mean (SD) | n | Mean (SD) | t(df) | p-value | |
W1 Depressive Symptoms (N = 475) | 166 | 0.81 (0.69) | 309 | 0.68 (0.58) | 1.94 (290.05) | 0.05 |
W1 Negative Ideation (N = 473) | 166 | 0.63 (0.84) | 307 | 0.39 (0.73) | 3.10 (300.21)** | 0.002 |
W1 Racial Discrimination (N = 476) | 166 | 0.81 (0.81) | 310 | 1.03 (0.94) | −2.61 (382.44)** | 0.01 |
W1 LGB Victimization (N = 476) | 166 | 0.75 (0.87) | 310 | 0.63 (0.70) | 1.50 (278.82) | 0.14 |
W1Age (N = 476) | 166 | 18.82 (1.87) | 310 | 19.07 (1.74) | −1.42 (317.42) | 0.15 |
Not Completed | Completed | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
n | % | n | % | X2(df) | p-value | |
Northeast Site (n = 368) | 132 | 79.5 | 236 | 76.1 | 0.71 (1) | 0.40 |
Black (n = 173) | 61 | 36.8 | 110 | 35.5 | 0.08 (1) | 0.78 |
Native American (n = 19) | 6 | 3.6 | 13 | 4.2 | 0.10 (1) | 0.76 |
Multiracial (n = 125) | 43 | 25.9 | 82 | 26.5 | 0.02 (1) | 0.89 |
Latino (n = 137) | 47 | 29.0 | 90 | 29.4 | 0.01 (1) | 0.93 |
AHPI (n = 16) | 5 | 3.0 | 11 | 3.5 | 0.10 (1) | 0.76 |
Cisgender female (n = 231) | 76 | 45.8 | 155 | 50.0 | 0.77 (1) | 0.38 |
Gay/Lesbian (n = 276) | 90 | 54.2 | 186 | 60.0 | 1.48 (1) | 0.22 |
Bisexual (n = 181) | 67 | 40.4 | 114 | 36.8 | 0.59 (1) | 0.44 |
Queer (n = 19) | 9 | 5.4 | 10 | 3.2 | 1.36 (1) | 0.24 |
Free and reduced lunch (n = 316) | 119 | 73.0 | 198 | 64.3 | 3.53 (1) | 0.06 |
Appendix B. Attrition Analysis for Wave 3
Not Completed | Completed | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
n | Mean (SD) | n | Mean (SD) | t (df) | p-value | |
W1 Depressive Symptoms (N = 475) | 221 | 0.78 (0.68) | 254 | 0.68 (0.57) | 1.78 (433.29) | 0.08 |
W1 Negative Ideation (N = 473) | 220 | 0.57 (0.80) | 253 | 0.39 (0.75) | 2.50 (453.36) * | 0.01 |
W1 Racial Discrimination (N = 476) | 222 | 0.91 (0.86) | 254 | 1.00 (0.95) | −1.10 (473.33) | 0.27 |
W1 LGB Victimization (N = 476) | 222 | 0.75 (0.83) | 254 | 0.61 (0.69) | 1.91 (430.32) | 0.06 |
W1Age (N = 476) | 222 | 18.90 (1.80) | 254 | 19.06 (1.79) | −0.95 (464.89) | 0.34 |
Not Completed | Completed | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
n | % | n | % | X2(df) | p-value | |
Northeast Site (n = 368) | 179 | 80.6 | 189 | 74.4 | 2.61 (1) | 0.11 |
Black (n = 173) | 89 | 40.1 | 82 | 32.3 | 3.14 (1) | 0.08 |
Native American (n = 19) | 11 | 4.0 | 8 | 3.2 | 1.01 (1) | 0.32 |
Multiracial (n = 125) | 53 | 23.9 | 72 | 28.4 | 1.22 (1) | 0.27 |
Latino (n = 137) | 59 | 27.2 | 78 | 31.1 | 0.85 (1) | 0.36 |
AHPI (n = 16) | 5 | 2.3 | 11 | 4.3 | 1.58 (1) | 0.21 |
Cisgender female (n = 231) | 103 | 46.4 | 128 | 50.4 | 0.76 (1) | 0.38 |
Gay/Lesbian (n = 276) | 110 | 49.6 | 166 | 65.4 | 12.15 (1)*** | <0.001 |
Bisexual (n = 181) | 99 | 44.6 | 82 | 32.3 | 7.62 (1)** | 0.01 |
Queer (n = 19) | 13 | 5.7 | 6 | 2.4 | 3.77 (1) | 0.05 |
Free and reduced lunch (n = 316) | 161 | 73.9 | 155 | 61.5 | 8.09 (1)** | 0.004 |
Appendix C. Attrition Analysis for Wave 4
Not Completed | Completed | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
n | Mean (SD) | n | Mean (SD) | t(df) | p-value | |
W1 Depressive Symptoms (N = 475) | 240 | 0.75 (0.64) | 235 | 0.70 (0.61) | 0.73 (472.75) | 0.47 |
W1 Negative Ideation (N = 473) | 239 | 0.52 (0.75) | 234 | 0.43 (0.81) | 1.10 (467.03) | 0.27 |
W1 Racial Discrimination (N = 476) | 241 | 0.95 (0.89) | 235 | 0.96 (0.92) | −0.14 (472.01) | 0.89 |
W1 LGB Victimization (N = 476) | 241 | 0.71 (0.81) | 235 | 0.63 (0.71) | 1.13 (468.02) | 0.26 |
W1Age (N = 476) | 241 | 18.86 (1.84) | 235 | 19.12 (1.74) | −1.60 (473.67) | 0.11 |
Not Completed | Completed | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
n | % | n | % | X2(df) | p-value | |
Northeast Site (n = 368) | 194 | 80.5 | 174 | 74.0 | 2.83 (1) | 0.09 |
Black (n = 171) | 90 | 37.3 | 81 | 34.5 | 0.43 (1) | 0.51 |
Native American (n = 19) | 14 | 5.8 | 5 | 2.1 | 4.21 (1)* | 0.04 |
Multiracial (n = 125) | 56 | 23.2 | 69 | 29.4 | 2.31 (1) | 0.13 |
Latino (n = 137) | 69 | 29.2 | 68 | 29.3 | 0.003 (1) | 0.99 |
AHPI (n = 16) | 7 | 2.9 | 9 | 3.8 | 0.31 (1) | 0.58 |
Cisgender female (n = 231) | 112 | 46.5 | 119 | 50.6 | 0.83 (1) | 0.36 |
Gay/Lesbian (n = 276) | 127 | 52.7 | 149 | 63.4 | 5.60 (1)* | 0.02 |
Bisexual (n = 181) | 101 | 41.9 | 80 | 34.0 | 3.12 (1) | 0.08 |
Queer (n = 19) | 13 | 5.4 | 6 | 2.6 | 2.51 (1) | 0.11 |
Free and reduced lunch (n = 316) | 178 | 75.1 | 138 | 59.2 | 13.45 (1)*** | <0.001 |
Appendix D. Model fit for sensitivity analyses
Title | X 2 | df | p-value | Scaling Correction | RMSEA | 90%CI LL | 90%CI UL | SRMR | CFI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Depression Symptoms w Lagged W1 Racial Discrimination and LGB Victimization | 35.105 | 25 | 0.09 | 1.01 | 0.03 | 0.00 | 0.05 | 0.02 | 0.98 |
Depression Symptoms w Lagged W1 Racial Discrimination, LGB Victimization, and Interaction | 34.258 | 25 | 0.10 | 1.00 | 0.03 | 0.00 | 0.05 | 0.02 | 0.98 |
Suicidal Ideation w Lagged W1 Racial Discrimination and LGB Victimization | 42.351 | 26 | 0.02 | 1.18 | 0.04 | 0.01 | 0.06 | 0.03 | 0.93 |
Suicidal Ideation w Lagged W1 Racial Discrimination, LGB Victimization, and Interaction | 80.743 | 28 | 0.00 | 1.40 | 0.06 | 0.05 | 0.08 | 0.05 | 0.77 |
Appendix E. Sensitivity analysis—alternative model
Depression | Suicidal Ideation | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Main Effects | Interactions | Main Effects | Interactionsa | |||||
Variables | β | SE | β | SE | β | SE | b | SE |
W1 Racial Discrimination → W1 Outcome | 0.22*** | 0.05 | 0.22*** | 0.05 | 0.14** | 0.05 | – | – |
W1 LGB Victimization → W1 Outcome | 0.20*** | 0.05 | 0.18*** | 0.05 | 0.20*** | 0.05 | – | – |
W1 Racial Discrimination → W2 Outcome | 0.19*** | 0.06 | 0.19*** | 0.05 | 0.09 | 0.05 | – | – |
W1 LGB Victimization → W2 Outcome | 0.12* | 0.06 | 0.11 | 0.06 | 0.22*** | 0.07 | – | – |
W1 Racial Discrimination → W3 Outcome | 0.12* | 0.05 | 0.11* | 0.05 | 0.09 | 0.07 | – | – |
W1 LGB Victimization → W3 Outcome | 0.01 | 0.06 | 0.03 | 0.06 | −0.03 | 0.06 | – | – |
W1 Racial Discrimination → W4 Outcome | 0.10 | 0.07 | 0.09 | 0.07 | 0.02 | 0.07 | – | – |
W1 LGB Victimization → W4 Outcome | 0.11 | 0.09 | 0.11 | 0.09 | 0.28*** | 0.10 | – | – |
W1 Discrimination X Victimization → W1 Outcome | – | – | 0.09 | 0.05 | – | – | – | – |
W1 Discrimination X Victimization → W2 Outcome | – | – | 0.05 | 0.06 | – | – | – | – |
W1 Discrimination X Victimization → W3 Outcome | – | – | −0.05 | 0.05 | – | – | – | – |
W1 Discrimination X Victimization → W4 Outcome | – | – | 0.00 | 0.08 | – | – | – | – |
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Mallory, A.B., Russell, S.T. Intersections of Racial Discrimination and LGB Victimization for Mental Health: A Prospective Study of Sexual Minority Youth of Color. J Youth Adolescence 50, 1353–1368 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-021-01443-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-021-01443-x