Validating the Structure of Proximal and Distal Factors within the Sexual Minority Adolescent Stress Inventory

Abstract

Minority stress theory is a model for understanding health disparities among sexual minorities, defined as those who experience a level of same-sex attraction, identity, or behavior. Methods for assessing minority stress among youth included only adult measures until the development of the Sexual Minority Adolescent Stress Inventory (SMASI). The SMASI appears to be a robust scale in its ability to measure specific stressors and global minority stress among adolescents; however, it does not measure the domain-level constructs of proximal and distal stress, which are integral features of the underlying theory. This study tests the psychometric defensibility of including these domain-level factors within an updated SMASI measurement model. Results provide evidence for the structural validity of the proximal and distal domains within the SMASI measurement model and suggest this updated model has more informational value than the original model for capturing minority stress.