Ethnic Microaggressions, Traumatic Stress Symptoms, And Latino Depression: A Moderated Mediational Model

Although ethnic microaggressions have received increased empirical attention in recent years, there remains a paucity of research regarding how these subtle covert forms of discrimination contribute to Latino mental health. The present study examined the role of traumatic stress symptoms underlying the relationship between ethnic microaggressions and depression. Further, ethnic identity and general self-efficacy were tested as moderators between the ethnic microaggressions and traumatic stress link. Among a sample of 113 Latino adults, moderated mediational analyses revealed statistically significant conditional indirect effects in which traumatic stress symptoms mediated the relationship between ethnic microaggressions and depression while ethnic identity and self-efficacy functioned as moderators. The major findings suggested that the indirect effects were the most robust within low ethnic identity and low self-efficacy. The findings are discussed within a stress and coping framework that highlight the internal resources and stress responses associated with experiencing ethnic microaggressions

The moment of microaggression: The experience of acts of oppression, dehumanization and exploitation

After a brief introduction and review of recent literature on microaggressions, a theoretical typology of three sources of social injustice (oppression, dehumanization, and exploitation) contributes to the theorization of the sources of microaggressions. A selected compendium of words and affective phrases generated in classroom exercises illustrates the nature of the experience of the moment of microaggression. Future research on microaggressions as well as evaluation of practice should examine the experience of microaggression, including being subjected to microaggression, initiating such acts, and observing such acts

The Jury's Still Out on What Constitutes a Microaggression

In "Microaggressions: Strong Claims, Inadequate Evidence," Scott Lillenfeld argues that, despite a decade of scholarship, the Microaggression Research Program (MRP) continues to suffer serious analytic and evidentiary problems. After walking through these shortcomings, he provides 18 suggestions to help improve the reliability and utility of the MRP. In "Microaggressions and 'Evidence': Experimental or Experiential Reality?" Derald Wing Sue responds. This chapter provides background on the origin of the MRP, and referees the dispute between Lillenfeld and Sue about its contemporary status

Microaggressions and Psychological Functioning among High Achieving African-Americans: A Mixed-Methods Approach

Racial microaggressions and their influence on mental health were examined among African American doctoral students and graduates of doctoral programs. Using a mixed-methods approach, the current study first identified the types of microaggressions reported by African American participants (N = 97) and then investigated the mechanism by which these experiences influence mental health over time with a separate sample of African Americans (N = 107). The qualitative findings revealed three categories of microaggressions including Assumption of Criminality/Second-Class Citizen, Underestimation of Personal Ability, and Cultural/racial Isolation. The quantitative analyses found support for a moderated-mediational model by which Underestimation of Personal Ability was associated with greater perceived stress at one-year follow-up, which in turn was related to greater depressive symptoms. Active coping was found to moderate the racial microaggression-perceived stress link such that individuals who endorse active coping behaviors reported lower perceived stress. These findings are discussed in terms of practical and theoretical implications regarding the role of racial micro-aggressions in the lives of high-achieving African Americans and the mechanisms by which these experiences contribute to mental health problems

Exploring Patient Satisfaction among Transgender and Non-Binary Identified Healthcare Users: The Role of Microaggressions and Inclusive Healthcare Settings

Patient satisfaction is an important indicator of quality of healthcare delivery. Transgender and non-binary (TGNB) people regularly report experiencing discrimination when in healthcare settings and few TGNB-inclusive services are available. Researchers have not examined how discrimination and access to TGNB-inclusive services are associated with patient satisfaction among TGNB healthcare users. Among a convenience sample of TGNB people (n = 146) from Canada and the United States, I examined the relationship between patient satisfaction, experiencing microaggressions from primary healthcare providers, and receiving care in a TGNB-inclusive healthcare setting. The results from a multivariable linear regression suggest that experiencing microaggressions is negatively associated with patient satisfaction while obtaining services from an inclusive healthcare setting is positively associated with satisfaction. These findings emphasize the importance of preparing healthcare providers to engage in inclusive practice with TGNB healthcare users, especially in terms of avoiding microaggressions. They also highlight the importance of creating TGNB-inclusive healthcare settings in fostering patient satisfaction. Researchers, medical professionals, and others working towards health equity, should consider the implications of these findings when developing solutions to improve healthcare access and patient satisfaction

Doctoral‐Level Counseling Students’ Experiences of Social Class Microaggressions

The authors recruited 11 doctoral‐level counseling students to participate in a study exploring the lived experiences of people who have encountered social class microaggressions (SCMs). Findings (consisting of 6 themes) suggest that SCMs are a distinct phenomenon arising from interpersonal and environmental exchanges that damage recipients. The authors present implications for counselor education and future research trajectories

The Role of Gendered Racial Microaggressions on African American Women\u27s Sleep Quality

The Role of Gendered Racial Microaggressions on African American Women\u27s Sleep Quality Shanya Chandel, Depts. of Psychology and Human Resource Management, and Ashlynn Bell and Chelsie Dunn, Dept. of Psychology Graduate Students, with Dr. Kristina Hood, Dept. of Psychology African American women are often subjected to oppressive and marginalizing commentary directed toward various facet of their being. This subtle yet harmful oppressive commentary is commonly referred to as silencing and marginalizing gendered racial microaggressions (Lewis & Neville, 2015). These types of microaggressions can be expressed by silencing, meaning taking away the voices of others. Microaggressions can also be used to marginalize individuals in regard to physical appearance, stereotypes about behavior, and even sexually objectifying messages. While the deleterious effects (e.g., mental health, sleep quality) of the more overt workplace and academic discrimination have been previously established; little is known about the subtle, pervasive forms of discrimination (Whitaker, 2019). It is important to explore one’s sleep quality as adequate sleep allows for critical cognition, or the ability to think clearly, be alert, and sustain attention (Worley, 2018) – aspects essential for good workplace and academic performance. Previous work has established the link between discriminatory experiences and the sleep quality of African American adults (Fuller-Rowell et al., 2017; Owens et al., 2017). Additionally, frequent exposure to microaggressions can impact African American women’s bodily functioning, such as their sleep quality (Lewis, Williams, Peppers & Gadson, 2017). However, little to no research has examined the potential effects of silencing and marginalizing experiences on African American women, who experience a unique combination of racism and sexism in the workplace, school, or other professional settings. The present study sought to examine the moderating role of frequency of silencing and marginalizing gendered racial microaggressions (GRM) on the link between GRM stress appraisal and sleep quality due to discriminatory events after controlling for gendered racial socialization, sleep patterns, silencing behaviors, ethnic identity, and self-worth contingencies. The current study consisted of 229 Black/African American women between the ages of 18 and 55 (M=33.30,SD=8.49). Majority of the sample was employed (87%) and about 27% were enrolled in a two- or four-year university. Participants were recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk and completed questions assessing their sleep quality due to discrimination, stress appraisal and experiences of GRM, ethnic identity, self-worth contingencies, and demographics. The moderation model was assessed via the PROCESS macro (Hayes, 2018) within SPSS v.26 using 5,000 bootstrapped samples. Moderation analysis revealed a statistically significant interaction between GRM frequency and stress appraisal on sleep quality due to discrimination, b=.05, SE=.02, 95% CI [.00, .10], p=.05. To interpret the statistically significant moderation effect, we used Hayes’s PROCESS v.3 (2017) Johnson-Neyman and bootstrap analysis. Findings revealed that GRM frequency is a significant moderator of the link between GRM stress appraisal and sleep quality due to discrimination at both higher (b=.25, SE=.05, 95% CI [.14, .36], p=.00) and lower (b=.12, SE=.05, 95% CI [.02, .23], p=.02) frequencies. More specifically, among those who higher frequency of GRM events, those who reported greater stress appraisal of GRM events reported poor sleep quality due to discrimination compared to those with lower stress appraisal. This positive relationship was also true for those who reported lower frequency of GRM events. Findings could potentially enhance existing mental health interventions by increasing awareness of how silencing and marginalizing experiences at work or school impact sleep quality among African American women.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/uresposters/1304/thumbnail.jp