4 research outputs found
Understanding the social and community support experiences of sexual and gender minority individuals in 12-Step programs
This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Journal of Gay and Lesbian Social Services on 25 Jan 2023, available at: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/10538720.2023.2172759.Sexual and gender minority individuals (e.g., gay, bisexual, non-binary, transgender; SGMI) are 2-6 times as likely as cisgender heterosexual individuals to experience alcohol or other substance use disorders. SGMI participate in 12-Step groups, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), at high rates. Though social support is an established mechanism through which 12-Step programs support reductions in substance use, little is known about SGMI’s experiences of the social support in 12-Step programs. This qualitative study aims to understand the experiences of social and community support among SGMI involved in 12-Step programs. This study employed thematic analysis to interpret open-ended responses from 302 SGMI who had participated in 12-Step programs. Data was from The PRIDE Study, a large, national, online. longitudinal, cohort study of SGMI. Two themes emerged about how SGMI experienced social and community support in 12-Step programs: beneficial connections and harmful environments. Beneficial connections included a sense of community, shared experiences, and skills provision. Harmful environments included marginalization, oppression, violence, and bullying. This study highlights the variability of experiences of SGMI participating in 12-Step programs. These findings suggest that many SGMI may benefit from 12-Step programs but may need support in coping with potential harms that can emerge through participation
Recommended from our members
Understanding Co-Occurring Depression Symptoms and Alcohol Use Symptoms among Sexual Minority Women
INTRODUCTION: Sexual minority (e.g., lesbian, bisexual) women experience depression and alcohol use disorder at approximately twice the rates of heterosexual women. Though stigma serves as a common explanation for these disparities, less is known about the mechanisms through which stigma may contribute to these disparities. Past research has found that the strategies that individuals use to regulate their emotions in response to experiences of stigma may influence their depression symptoms and alcohol use symptoms. Among general samples, alcohol use and suppression have been linked to increased risk for depression symptoms whereas seeking social support following a stigma-related stressor has been linked to reduced risk for depression symptoms. A limited body of past research has found constructs similar to suppression and social support to be associated with greater or fewer alcohol use symptoms, respectively, at the same level of alcohol use.The current dissertation proposes and validates a model to test whether greater levels of alcohol use, greater levels of suppression, and lower levels of social support explain 1) sexual minority women’s disproportionally high rates of depression symptoms/alcohol use symptoms and 2) the relationship between stigma-related stressors and depression symptoms/alcohol use symptoms for sexual minority women. (a) A greater number of stigma-related stressors are hypothesized to be associated with higher levels of suppression, higher levels of alcohol use, and lower levels of social support, (b) which are hypothesized to be associated with a greater number of depression symptoms. (c) Higher levels of alcohol use are hypothesized to be associated with a greater number of alcohol use symptoms; (d) higher levels of suppression are hypothesized to weaken this relationship, whereas higher levels of social support are hypothesized to strengthen this relationship.METHODS: A national sample of 1,773 sexual minority women participated in an online survey in 2017 through the PRIDE Study. Respondents self-reported demographic information, number of experiences of stigma, levels of alcohol use, suppression, and social support, and number of depression and alcohol use symptoms. Structural equation modeling was used to test hypotheses a to d (detailed above). Chi-square, RMSEA, CFI, and TLI were all employed to assess model fit. RESULTS: (a) As hypothesized, a greater number of stigma-related stressors was associated with lower levels of social support (standardized coefficient estimate, β = -0.185; p < 0.001), but contrary to hypothesis, the number of stigma-related stressors was not significantly associated with levels alcohol use or suppression. (b) As hypothesized, lower levels of social support (β = -0.210; p < 0.001), higher levels of alcohol use (β = 0.105; p < 0.001), higher levels of suppression (β = 0.169; p < 0.001), and greater number of stigma-related stressors (β = 0.220; p < 0.001) were all significantly associated with a greater number of depression symptoms. (c). As hypothesized, higher levels of alcohol use (β = 0.790; p < 0.001) were significantly associated with a greater number of alcohol use symptoms, but contrary to hypothesis, greater numbers of stigma-related stressors did not predict a greater number of alcohol use symptoms. (d) Contrary to hypothesis, there was no evidence that relationship between alcohol use and alcohol use symptoms was strengthened by higher levels of suppression or weakened by higher levels of social support. All fit statistics exceeded established standards. DISCUSSION: Stigma-related stressors were found to be associated with depression symptoms, but not alcohol use symptoms, among sexual minority women. Stigma-related stressors may cause sexual minority women to deplete their social support resources, potentially increasing risk for depression symptoms; this mechanism does not appear to drive alcohol use symptoms. This finding suggests that cultivating social support networks that are responsive to experiences of stigma may be an important component of depression treatments for sexual minority women. Though the cross-sectional design of this study limits the potential for causal inference, this study makes an important contribution to the literature by utilizing a largescale, national sample of sexual minority women to evaluate potential mechanisms driving both depression symptoms and alcohol use symptoms among this vulnerable population. Future research should use longitudinal methods to improve potential for causal inference. Future research should also identify mechanisms common to depression symptoms and alcohol use symptoms to facilitate the development of interventions for co-occurring depression and alcohol use disorders for this vulnerable population
Recommended from our members
Understanding Co-Occurring Depression Symptoms and Alcohol Use Symptoms among Sexual Minority Women
INTRODUCTION: Sexual minority (e.g., lesbian, bisexual) women experience depression and alcohol use disorder at approximately twice the rates of heterosexual women. Though stigma serves as a common explanation for these disparities, less is known about the mechanisms through which stigma may contribute to these disparities. Past research has found that the strategies that individuals use to regulate their emotions in response to experiences of stigma may influence their depression symptoms and alcohol use symptoms. Among general samples, alcohol use and suppression have been linked to increased risk for depression symptoms whereas seeking social support following a stigma-related stressor has been linked to reduced risk for depression symptoms. A limited body of past research has found constructs similar to suppression and social support to be associated with greater or fewer alcohol use symptoms, respectively, at the same level of alcohol use.The current dissertation proposes and validates a model to test whether greater levels of alcohol use, greater levels of suppression, and lower levels of social support explain 1) sexual minority women’s disproportionally high rates of depression symptoms/alcohol use symptoms and 2) the relationship between stigma-related stressors and depression symptoms/alcohol use symptoms for sexual minority women. (a) A greater number of stigma-related stressors are hypothesized to be associated with higher levels of suppression, higher levels of alcohol use, and lower levels of social support, (b) which are hypothesized to be associated with a greater number of depression symptoms. (c) Higher levels of alcohol use are hypothesized to be associated with a greater number of alcohol use symptoms; (d) higher levels of suppression are hypothesized to weaken this relationship, whereas higher levels of social support are hypothesized to strengthen this relationship.METHODS: A national sample of 1,773 sexual minority women participated in an online survey in 2017 through the PRIDE Study. Respondents self-reported demographic information, number of experiences of stigma, levels of alcohol use, suppression, and social support, and number of depression and alcohol use symptoms. Structural equation modeling was used to test hypotheses a to d (detailed above). Chi-square, RMSEA, CFI, and TLI were all employed to assess model fit. RESULTS: (a) As hypothesized, a greater number of stigma-related stressors was associated with lower levels of social support (standardized coefficient estimate, β = -0.185; p < 0.001), but contrary to hypothesis, the number of stigma-related stressors was not significantly associated with levels alcohol use or suppression. (b) As hypothesized, lower levels of social support (β = -0.210; p < 0.001), higher levels of alcohol use (β = 0.105; p < 0.001), higher levels of suppression (β = 0.169; p < 0.001), and greater number of stigma-related stressors (β = 0.220; p < 0.001) were all significantly associated with a greater number of depression symptoms. (c). As hypothesized, higher levels of alcohol use (β = 0.790; p < 0.001) were significantly associated with a greater number of alcohol use symptoms, but contrary to hypothesis, greater numbers of stigma-related stressors did not predict a greater number of alcohol use symptoms. (d) Contrary to hypothesis, there was no evidence that relationship between alcohol use and alcohol use symptoms was strengthened by higher levels of suppression or weakened by higher levels of social support. All fit statistics exceeded established standards. DISCUSSION: Stigma-related stressors were found to be associated with depression symptoms, but not alcohol use symptoms, among sexual minority women. Stigma-related stressors may cause sexual minority women to deplete their social support resources, potentially increasing risk for depression symptoms; this mechanism does not appear to drive alcohol use symptoms. This finding suggests that cultivating social support networks that are responsive to experiences of stigma may be an important component of depression treatments for sexual minority women. Though the cross-sectional design of this study limits the potential for causal inference, this study makes an important contribution to the literature by utilizing a largescale, national sample of sexual minority women to evaluate potential mechanisms driving both depression symptoms and alcohol use symptoms among this vulnerable population. Future research should use longitudinal methods to improve potential for causal inference. Future research should also identify mechanisms common to depression symptoms and alcohol use symptoms to facilitate the development of interventions for co-occurring depression and alcohol use disorders for this vulnerable population
Recommended from our members
A Systematic Review of Family Victimization Experiences Among Sexual Minority Youth
Sexual minority youth experience substantially higher rates of family victimization than their heterosexual peers. No systematic review has yet identified the predictors and consequences in this vulnerable population of childhood abuse, exposure to sibling abuse and domestic violence, and sibling aggression. This systematic review aims to (a) describe differences in these family victimization rates by sexual orientation, gender, and race/ethnicity; (b) identify potential sexual minority and non-sexual minority-specific risk factors; and (c) identify physical, mental, and behavioral health and extrafamilial victimization correlates. The systematic review, which followed PRISMA guidelines, yielded 32 articles that met study inclusion criteria. Rates of childhood physical, sexual, and emotional abuse were consistently higher for sexual minority youth than for their heterosexual peers. Bisexual youth appear to be at greater risk for physical abuse than their gay and lesbian peers. Younger age at sexual minority milestones (first awareness, disclosure, and same-sex sexual contact) and higher levels of sexual minority-specific (sexuality disclosure, gender non-conformity) and non-sexual minority-specific (delinquent behaviors, parental drinking) risk factors were associated with higher rates of family victimization. Sexual minorities who experienced some form of childhood abuse reported more frequent physical (higher rates of HIV, higher BMIs, lower levels of perceived health), mental (higher rates of depression, PTSD symptoms, experiential avoidance, internalized homophobia), and behavioral (higher rates of suicidality, substance misuse, earlier sexual debut, unprotected anal sex) health problems relative to heterosexual or non-abused sexual minority peers. Sexual minority females who experienced childhood physical or sexual abuse were at greater risk than abused sexual minority males for sexual assault later in life. We conclude this systematic review with recommendations for future research, including the necessity for longitudinal research that utilizes a poly-victimization conceptual framework to identify the developmental pathways connecting risk factors, different types of family victimization, and health and extrafamilial victimization consequences