ARE STIGMA AND OUTNESS ASSOCIATED WITH DIFFERENCES IN WORKPLACE STRESS BETWEEN SEXUAL MINORITY COLLEGE UNDERGRADUATES AND THEIR HETEROSEXUAL PEERS?

This study is aimed at finding the differences in workplace stress between heterosexual and sexual minority undergraduate students in North Carolina Universities. The relationship between workplace stress, outness, and stigma consciousness due to sexual orientation, will be examined through analysis of survey results distributed to undergraduates. Due to the financial burden of a college education, around 80% of college undergraduates have a job during college (Carnevale, Smith, Melton, & Price, 2015). This situation is unique when considering sexual minority students. Employment could be harder to navigate as a sexual minority student due to complicated decisions such as whether or not to be out in the workplace, choosing to actively hide one’s orientation, and managing the possibility of harassment or discrimination. These factors could lead to sexual minority students having higher levels of workplace stress. The effects of outness and stigma consciousness on workplace stress will be examined to create a detailed approach to sexual minority experiences. High workplace stress has negative side effects on both physical and mental health (Colligan & Higgins, 2006). Data will be collected through a survey given to undergraduates in North Carolina. The survey will include the Maugeri Stress Index reduced form (Massidda, D., Giorgi, I., Vidotto, G., Tringali, S., Imbriani, M., Baiardi, P., & Bertolotti, G., 2017), the Nebraska Outness Scale (Meidlinger & Hope, 2014), and the Stigma Consciousness Questionnaire (Pinel, 1999). A short answer question will be given to obtain qualitative data. This study fills important gaps in past research by examining this population and their experience’s in the workplace

Professional recommendations on individual psychotherapy techniques for working with transgender and nonbinary clients regarding minority stress: A Delphi study

This project is an analysis of current professional methods used by mental health professionals who work with transgender and nonbinary individuals in individual psychotherapy. Because of the minority status these individuals have, they are subjected to minority stress which can lead to increases in depression, anxiety, substance use, and suicidal ideation (Mueller, 2020). Minority Stress is defined as harassment and discrimination, perceived negative stereotypes about minority identities, and internalized transphobia or negative thoughts of self, based in minority identities (Meyer, 2003; Hendricks & Testa, 2012). While the need for therapeutic services for transgender and nonbinary individuals is widely recognized, there is little to no empirically backed methodologies for helping these individuals cope with minority stress. This project’s purpose was to compile expert practices currently being used and create a consensus on the best methodologies to create the possibility for future research on agreed upon techniques. Results from the study suggested that professionals find person-centered techniques (e.g. validation, acceptance, empathy) to be the most helpful interventions. Additionally, the importance of advocacy and community as well as material support were highly rated suggestions by experts. Experts were also asked about the assessments they use to measure the success of these interventions and rated basing success on the client’s level of comfort with themselves and ability to cope with difficulties as the most helpful forms of assessment. Future research should attempt to create statistical evidence for the effectiveness of these techniques and should explore how those in treatment feel about these techniques

ARE STIGMA AND OUTNESS ASSOCIATED WITH DIFFERENCES IN WORKPLACE STRESS BETWEEN SEXUAL MINORITY COLLEGE UNDERGRADUATES AND THEIR HETEROSEXUAL PEERS?

This study is aimed at finding the differences in workplace stress between heterosexual and sexual minority undergraduate students in North Carolina Universities. The relationship between workplace stress, outness, and stigma consciousness due to sexual orientation, will be examined through analysis of survey results distributed to undergraduates. Due to the financial burden of a college education, around 80% of college undergraduates have a job during college (Carnevale, Smith, Melton, & Price, 2015). This situation is unique when considering sexual minority students. Employment could be harder to navigate as a sexual minority student due to complicated decisions such as whether or not to be out in the workplace, choosing to actively hide one"s orientation, and managing the possibility of harassment or discrimination. These factors could lead to sexual minority students having higher levels of workplace stress. The effects of outness and stigma consciousness on workplace stress will be examined to create a detailed approach to sexual minority experiences. High workplace stress has negative side effects on both physical and mental health (Colligan & Higgins, 2006). Data will be collected through a survey given to undergraduates in North Carolina. The survey will include the Maugeri Stress Index reduced form (Massidda, D., Giorgi, I., Vidotto, G., Tringali, S., Imbriani, M., Baiardi, P., & Bertolotti, G., 2017), the Nebraska Outness Scale (Meidlinger & Hope, 2014), and the Stigma Consciousness Questionnaire (Pinel, 1999). A short answer question will be given to obtain qualitative data. This study fills important gaps in past research by examining this population and their experience"s in the workplace