Experiences Of Microaggressions Research Articles

'The Relentless Nature of Whiteness': Black Psychologists' Experiences of Racial Microaggressions in Cross-Cultural Supervision.

Research suggests that cross-cultural supervision can be prone to microaggressions with deleterious effects for ethno-racial minorities. There are currently no known studies examining the impact of racial microaggressions in supervision on qualified psychologists. This study aimed to explore Black psychologists' experiences of microaggressions in supervision with a White supervisor and their impact. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 individuals who had completed clinical or counselling psychology doctoral training. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Three superordinate themes and 12 subthemes were derived from the analysis. The superordinate themes were: 'It's the subtle things', 'It's an ordeal' and 'Surviving Whiteness in psychology'. The findings illustrate the complex nature of racial microaggressions and their profound and lasting impact on individuals. The cumulative impact of these experiences resulted in significant negative psychological outcomes. The results suggest that there are common microaggressions that recur in supervision. Encountering microaggressions impeded the supervisory relationship, supervision and professional development. Clinical implications include recommendations for including multicultural competency in psychology trainings and ongoing professional development plans.

Co-Creando Rituales / Co-Creating Rituals to Hold Our Work as Anti-Oppressive Counselors and Researchers

Counselors and qualitative researchers have the honor of hearing peoples’ stories and thus have a great responsibility to explore and use clinical and research methodologies that are anti-oppressive, liberatory, and healing. Therefore, in 2019 we began a photovoice project alongside seven queer womxn of color (QWoC) that collaboratively explored their experiences of microaggressions in counseling. Through this journey, we recognized that to be fully present with the “co-researchers’” (participants’) narratives and experiences, we needed to remain attuned and grounded. We engaged in what we now call “rituals” before research team meetings to support our work as counselors and anti-oppressive researchers throughout this photovoice project. These intentional, emotional, embodied, and spiritual practices allowed us to be open with ourselves and with the co-researchers during the research process. In this article, we discuss several rituals we created that helped us engage in critical reflexivity, [un]learn extractive research practices, and explore our intentions, thus allowing us to connect with our embodied experiences and co-researchers’ narratives in a deeper and more meaningful way.

Measurement invariance of the LGBT People of Color Microaggressions Scale among LGBTQ+ youth.

The LGBT People of Color Microaggressions Scale (LGBT-PCMS) is a widely used measure of intersectional microaggression experiences among sexual and gender minority people of color. Although it is widely used-and increasingly used in adolescent and young adult samples-it is unknown whether the LGBT-PCMS demonstrates similar measurement properties across subgroups of sexual and gender minority youth of color (SGMYOC). Among 4142 SGMYOC (ages 13-17) we found evidence for either partial or full scalar invariance (item loadings and intercepts were generally equal) across sexual orientation, race-ethnicity, and gender identity groups for all three subscales. Specific patterns of invariance and noninvariance across groups, as well as implications for the use of the LGBT-PCMS and its subscales among SGMYOC are discussed.

Correction: Gender and Disability: The Experiences of Microaggressions Against Women with Disabilities in the Philippines

Correction: Gender and Disability: The Experiences of Microaggressions Against Women with Disabilities in the Philippines

'I sound different, I look different, I am different': Protecting and promoting the sense of authenticity of ethnically minoritised medical students.

Being authentic can improve students' well-being and enhance the medical student-patient communication and patient safety. However, the underrepresentation of ethnically minoritised students in medical education can result in identity suppression, interfering with students' ability to succeed academically and professionally. We conducted interviews with 20 ethnically minoritised medical students, which were analysed thematically, to explore the following: What facilitates and prevents students from being their authentic self during medical school? What learning and teaching strategies can enable students to be or become their authentic self? Experiences of discrimination, microaggressions and/or racism were the main barriers to authenticity, leading to fear of being discriminated again if students expressed their true self. Lack of diversity, cultural awareness and staff representation were also fundamental barriers. Being authentic was often perceived as contradictory to being professional and a risk that could damage students' reputation. However, when students could express their true self, they felt happier, safer and developed a stronger sense of belonging. To enhance authenticity, students need to see better staff representation, role models they can relate and aspire to, such as Black professors. Equity/Diversity/Inclusion/Belonging (EDIB) training needs to become embedded throughout the curriculum and be delivered by facilitators with lived experiences. Other strategies to promote students' authenticity included mentoring, better signposting to complaints procedure and well-being resources and implementation of 'zero tolerance' policies. To our knowledge, this is one of the first studies on the concept of authenticity in medical education and the first study focusing on ethnically minoritised students.

Effects of racial discrimination on stress, negative emotions, and alcohol craving: A registered report of a virtual reality experiment.

Racial discrimination experiences contribute to health disparities and can influence individuals' health. Yet, pathways by which discrimination-related experiences affect alcohol craving remain understudied using experimental designs. Additionally, limited research has examined possible differential effects of "major" discrimination and microaggression experiences in everyday life on alcohol craving. This between-groups experiment examined causal effects of everyday racial discrimination on stress, negative emotions, and alcohol craving. We also tested indirect pathways by which discrimination-related experiences were linked to alcohol craving via stress and negative emotions. People of color and Indigenous peoples participated in the study (N = 184; Mage = 23.90; 47.8% women; 48.9% community adults). Participants were randomized to one of four experimental conditions, in which they experienced in virtual environments either "major" discrimination, microinsult, microinvalidation, or daily hassles unrelated to race/racism. Participants' levels of stress, negative emotions, and alcohol craving were assessed immediately before and after experimental simulations. Compared to daily hassles unrelated to race/racism, simulated racial discrimination elicited greater stress and negative emotions. Daily hassles caused greater alcohol craving among those who endorsed higher levels of coping motives for drinking. We observed minimal differences in stress and negative emotions across the three racial discrimination conditions, and found no evidence supporting indirect links between racial discrimination and alcohol craving via stress and negative emotions. Everyday racial discrimination-regardless of intensity level-is more stressful than daily hassles unrelated to race/racism. Future research should examine cumulative effects of racial discrimination, and understanding individual difference factors that moderate its immediate and delayed effects. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Exploring the occurrence of microaggressions in the genetic counseling student-supervisor relationship: A mixed-methods study.

While research has shown that genetic counseling students with minoritized racial or ethnic identities face microaggressions throughout graduate training, quantitative data regarding the frequency of these experiences have not been reported. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to investigate the frequency and types of microaggressions experienced by graduates of accredited genetic counseling programs in the United States during fieldwork rotations. A quantitative survey was administered to assess how frequently 14 different types of microaggressions occurred in interactions with supervisors. Survey responses were analyzed using situation-based coding (the number of different types of microaggressions experienced) and frequency-based coding (the sum of participants' weighted Likert answers). Select survey respondents with minoritized identities were interviewed to better contextualize and categorize microaggression experiences. Analysis of 87 survey responses revealed that participants with minoritized racial and ethnic identities experience significantly more types of microaggressions (t(61) = 2.77; p = 0.007) at a significantly higher frequency (t(55) = 2.67; p = 0.010) than their white counterparts. Participants who identified as part of the disability community were also found to experience significantly more types of microaggressions (t(10) = 3.25; p = 0.009) at a significantly higher frequency (t(9) = 2.32; p = 0.045) than those who did not. Qualitative analysis of 11 interviews revealed that microaggressions from supervisors included offensive and inappropriate comments, unequal treatment, cultural intolerance, and disparaging feedback. Overall, our data present evidence that students with minoritized racial and ethnic identities and students with disabilities are subjected to a variety of inequitable, exclusionary, and harmful interactions. As a result, we recommend that all supervisors receive training about recognizing and preventing microaggressions to ensure that students are provided with an equitable and inclusive training experience, regardless of identity.

Racial microaggressions and positive coping strategies among migrant elderly care workers in Japan

BackgroundThe aging population is a severe issue in Japan; thus, the country has accepted nursing care professionals through a bilateral Economic Partnership Agreement with the Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Although this new phase of Southeast Asian immigration to Japan is still considered recent, problems linked to labor and sustainability have been observed. ObjectiveThis qualitative study explored the racial microaggression experiences and positive coping strategies of migrant care workers working in Japan's formal long-term care setting. MethodsIn-depth interviews were conducted among 31 migrant care workers from the Philippines (n = 21), Indonesia (n = 6), and Vietnam (n = 4). Interviews were held in their native tongue, in English or Japanese, with the aid of an interpreter, audiotaped for accuracy, and transcribed verbatim. NVivo 10® was used to sort, organize, and code the transcripts. Thematic analysis was used to identify emerging themes. ResultsTwo key themes emerged that depict racial microaggression: microinsults and microassault. Microinsults include environmental and systematic microaggression, assumption of unreliability, and invisibility. Microassault consists of the assumption of dominance. Migrant care workers were expected to write work reports in Kanji (Chinese characters) and to communicate in Japanese. They are pressured to do more tasks than their local counterparts but treated as incompetent and invisible because of their ethnic background. Three key themes emerged related to positive coping strategies: (1) emotion-focused, (2) meaning-focused, and (3) appraisal-focused. ConclusionThis is the first study that highlights the racial microaggression experiences and positive coping strategies of migrant care workers in Japan. The Japanese government is suggested to provide resources for migrant care workers to cope and practice self-care. Care facilities are meant to provide opportunities for care workers to develop a sense of agency and feelings of control over perpetuated racially charged interactions tailored to the care workers' culture.

Minority Stress and Microaggression Experiences among Sexual Minority Women in Sweden

In the present article we explore when, where, and how Swedish sexual minority women experience minority stress and microaggression. Drawing on deductive thematic analysis of forty-eight interviews, we show that minority stress and microaggressions were experienced in a wide range of everyday life areas. Exposure was described in the forms of physical violence, threats and verbal abuse, ignorance and prejudice, discrimination, micro, microinsults microinvalidations, excessive focus, exotification, and silence. The exposure was described to cause negative emotions, hypervigilance, a feeling of being different, internalized homo- or biphobia, and mental health problems. Despite the Swedish population being among the most accepting towards sexual minorities, theories of minority stress and microaggressions are still useful for highlighting the lived experiences of sexual minority women. Focusing on lived experiences of minority stress and microaggressions provides us with a visualization of the texture of the experiences that helps us understand what various aspects of the theories mean in everyday life.

DISABILITY CHARACTERISTICS AND ABLEIST MICROAGGRESSION EXPERIENCES AMONG AGING ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES

Abstract People with disabilities (PWD) report experiencing overt and subtle interpersonal disability-based discrimination that is related to poorer functional and health outcomes. Moreover, associations between disability-based discrimination and mental and physical health outcomes are stronger among younger middle-aged than older adults. However, differences in this pattern across disability characteristics and mental health have not been explored. This study investigated associations between disability visibility, age, ableist microaggressions, and mental health symptoms among middle-aged and older adults with disabilities. Participants included 236 middle-aged and older adults recruited online using Amazon’s Mechanical Turk whose ages ranged from 45 to 70 (M=51.44; SD=5.68). Participants were largely non-Hispanic, white, female, employed full-time, graduate educated, and most reported a mobility/physical disability. Participants provided personal demographics and perceived disability visibility (visible, sometimes visible, not visible) and self-reported ableist microaggression experiences and mental health symptoms. A linear multiple regression model controlling for key demographics examined differences in the association between ableist microaggressions and mental health symptoms moderated by age and disability visibility. Results showed a main effect of microaggressions on mental health symptoms (b=.16, p=.044, f2=.02). An interaction effect was found between age and microaggressions (b=.02, p=.003) indicating that as age increased, the association between microaggressions and mental health symptoms increased as disability visibility decreased. Findings illustrate the importance of considering disability characteristics when evaluating subtle disability discrimination among aging adults. Disability discrimination impedes health outcomes and equity, and future research is needed to explore stigma-reduction interventions at local and policy levels.

Intersectional Microaggressions, Sexual Identity Concealment, and Mental Health of Young Black Sexual Minority Men and Transgender Women.

Previous research has demonstrated associations between experiences of microaggressions and negative mental and physical health outcomes, and national organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have acknowledged racism as a public health issue. Individuals with multiple marginalized identities, such as young Black men who have sex with men and transgender women, are commonly affected by discrimination and stigma, contributing to health disparities. One possible path by which microaggressions are linked to negative health outcomes for these groups is their impact on individuals' decisions to conceal their sexual identity, in some cases leading to increased stress and use of maladaptive coping strategies.We surveyed 280 young Black male (86%) and transgender or non-binary (14%) individuals between the ages of 16-25years old (M = 21.68, SD = 2.73)who reported being recently sexually active with men abouttheir experiences with intersectional microaggressions, concealment of their sexual identity, psychologicaldistress, and substance use before and during sexual activity.Structural equation modeling revealed that experiences of microaggressions were associated with greater sexual identity concealment, and concealment partially mediated the relationship between microaggressions and psychological distress. While microaggressions were associated with greater substance use, sexual identity concealment did not mediate this relationship. Findings have implications for addressing health disparities among this population.

Intersectional Microaggressions and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Perception in Bisexual Black, Indigenous, and People of Color

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), or heart diseases, are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality nationwide. Separate bodies of research indicate that Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual (LGB) individuals and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) demonstrate high risk for CVD and report greater levels of intersectional microaggressions compared with their Heterosexual White and BIPOC counterparts. Within LGB communities, Bisexual individuals report more discrimination that is associated with more CVD risk factors compared with their Heterosexual and Lesbian and Gay (LG) counterparts. Research has not examined differences in the rates of CVD risk factors between Bisexual and LG BIPOC or the associations between intersectional microaggressions and heart disease risk perception in LGB BIPOC, a relevant construct correlated with health behavior and objective risk. Participants (N= 264) self-identified as LGB BIPOC and filled out measures on their CVD risk factors, CVD risk perception, and experiences of intersectional microaggressions or intersectional minority stress. Results showed that Bisexual and LG BIPOC reported similar odds for CVD risk factors. Intersectional minority stress and CVD risk perception were positively associated with Bisexual participants only. Findings underscore the importance of extending beyond traditional biomedical frameworks of CVD risk and recognizing the unique contribution of intersectional microaggressions for LGB BIPOC, with strong associations of intersectional minority stress for Bisexual BIPOC heart health.

Reiterating Visibility: Canadian Librarians’ Experiences of Racial Microaggressions via Findings from a Minority Librarians Network Redux Survey

Based on the data from the Visible Minority Librarians of Canada 2021 Redux Survey, this study examines experiences of racial microaggressions among visible minority librarians in Canada. This research fills the gap in the library and information science (LIS) literature regarding racial microaggressions in librarianship in the Canadian context. Of the 148 respondents, 69% (n=102) experienced at least one stated racial microaggression. The result of a Kruskal-Wallis H test revealed a significant association between years of experience as a librarian and a librarian’s overall experiences with microaggressions. A post hoc test based on Bonferroni correction was run, which indicated that librarians with less than five years of work experience encountered microaggressions less frequently compared to those with 11–15 years of experience. For the ten stated types of racial microaggressions, the most frequently reported type was “I was told that people of all racial groups face the same barriers in employment or promotion,” and the least frequently reported type was “A colleague claimed that he/she felt threatened because of my race.” Fisher's exact tests were further performed to examine how the respondents differed in their experiences of each microaggression. The test results revealed that the librarians with different personal attributes (ethnicity, disability status, gender identity, language used) and employment attributes (librarian experience, management position, library type) had significantly different encounters with eight forms of microaggression. Professional library associations and libraries must strengthen education about racial microaggressions and offer support to visible minority librarians when they are confronted with microaggressive behaviours.

Deploying generative AI to draft a roleplay simulation of difficult conversations about inclusivity

Within inclusivity change initiatives, conversations around microaggressions are a key element in seeking behavioural change. This exemplar use of GenAI is focused on authoring a conversational role play simulation. Prompts draw on the extensive literature of microaggressions. The underlying scenario is a podcast where the author and chatbot co-design the role play. The study involved a novice in GenAI simultaneously learning prompt engineering which would generate realistic role played conversation. A core finding was that GenAI can produce a conversational style realistic enough to deploy in higher education inclusivity workshops, and whose subject matter content is satisfactory. The chatbot proposed four benefits of a role play simulation, which are drawn on to frame the critical reflection. An important conclusion was that the GenAI process could valuably facilitate shifting from a subject expert academic being sole author, to co-design involving both those with experience of microaggressions, as well as potential staff and student workshop participants.

Taiwanese Immigrants’ Experiences of Microaggressions in Europe, and Coping Strategies Adopted before and after the COVID–19 Pandemic

Taiwanese Immigrants’ Experiences of Microaggressions in Europe, and Coping Strategies Adopted before and after the COVID–19 Pandemic

Asian international psychotherapist's experiences of client's microaggression in therapy.

Much of the multicultural counseling literature focuses on how White or U.S.-born therapists can work effectively with clients of color. However, with the increasing number of racial minority and international therapists and trainees, there is a need to expand the multicultural counseling literature to acknowledge and center the experiences of therapists and trainees of color, particularly the experiences of Asian international therapists. Specifically, a greater understanding and guidelines are needed regarding how Asian international therapists handle clients' xenophobia, racism, and microaggressions in therapy. This qualitative study interviewed 11 licensed practicing Asian international psychotherapists within the United States about their experiences of client-initiated microaggressions in therapy. Consensual qualitative research was used to analyze interview data. Results indicated four domains pertaining to Asian international psychotherapists' experiences in therapy: xenophobia, microaggression, impact, and strategy. Participants reported complex negative impacts of xenophobia and microaggressions on their well-being as well as the therapeutic relationship and treatment outcomes. Additionally, participants identified the difficulty and complexity of addressing client-initiated microaggressions in session. Implications for training and practice as well as suggestions for future research are provided. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Exploring Experiences of Traumatic Microaggressions Toward Surgeons and Surgical Residents

IntroductionStudies have suggested that experiences of gender and racial discrimination are widespread among surgeons and surgical residents. This study examines the relationship between experienced microaggressions and traumatic stress. MethodsA one-time, deidentified survey was distributed over email to academic surgical societies. The survey consisted of 35 items including questions on prevalence of microaggressions, perceived job impacts as well as a shortened version of the Trauma Symptoms of Discrimination Scale. Chi-square tests and an independence test for trends were utilized to determine significance. ResultsWe collected data from 130 participants with majority (81%) having experienced microaggressions in the workplace. On measures of worry (P < 0.001), avoidance (P = 0.012), anxiety (P = 0.004), and trouble relaxing (P = 0.002), racial/ethnic minority surgeons and trainees demonstrated significantly higher scores. With perceived job impacts, significant agreement was seen with occurrences of working harder to prove competence (P = 0.005), gaining patient confidence (P < 0.001), reduced career satisfaction (P = 0.011), work-related negative talk (P = 0.018), and burnout at work due to microaggressions (P = 0.019). Among participants who underwent behavioral modifications, female surgeons were more likely to change their nonverbal communication styles (P < 0.001) and spend more time with patients (P < 0.001). ConclusionsExperiences of microaggressions are associated with increased anxiety-related trauma symptoms in racial/ethnic minority surgeons and surgical trainees. Additionally, these experiences of microaggression can influence job satisfaction, burnout, career perceptions and workplace behaviors. As the field of surgery becomes more diverse, this study contributes to growing awareness of the role of implicit discrimination in the attrition and retention of racial/ethnic minority surgeons and female surgeons.

Educating Black Girls Enduring Microaggressions in an Oreo World

The purpose of this article is to explore suburban Black Christian girls’ experiences of microaggressions in the public high school context. Through an ethnographic study, personal narratives were collected from six suburban Black Christian girls who all attended the same African Methodist Episcopal (AME) church where I served as the youth minister. These narratives offer insight into ways microaggression encounters in suburban schools can impact the personal identity, racial identity, and spiritual formation of Black adolescent girls. The Black sanctuary is the context where the girls in the study felt most accepted, represented, and safe. This implies re-imagining religious education practices with Black girls is important if pastors want to cultivate formative spaces that help Black youth thrive in an Oreo World.

Intersectional microaggressions, mental health outcomes, and the role of social support among Black LGB adults.

The present study explored the relationship between intersectional microaggressions (racism and heterosexism) and psychological distress outcomes among a sample of 370 Black lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) adults. Additionally, social support from family, friends, and significant others was examined as potential moderators. Results showed that intersectional microaggressions were associated with greater depression, anxiety, and stress. Also, a significant moderating effect for family social support was found, suggesting that Black LGB adults with higher family social support reported greater levels of depression and stress as their microaggression experiences increased compared to those with less family social support. These results highlight the deleterious effects of intersectional microaggressions on the health of Black LGB adults and important clinical considerations pertaining to the role of social support. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Experiences of Belonging and Islamophobia among Hijabi Muslim College Students in the United States

Abstract: Students from marginalized religious backgrounds face myriad challenges on college and university campuses, and negative effects are especially pronounced for Muslim students. Wearing hijab can put college students at a greater risk of marginalization amidst a climate of Islamophobia. Although there is a growing body of research on Muslim college student experiences, there is a more limited exploration of hijabi students’ experiences. In this exploratory online survey study (n=41), we sought to understand experiences of belonging and Islamophobia among hijabi Muslim students across the United States. We adopted a critical quantitative approach, specifically interested in the connection of hijabi students’ sense of belonging, social adjustment, and experiences of microaggressions to their adherence to the Islamic dress code, membership in a Muslim student organization (MSA), and identifying with a minoritized racial group. We found that more modest dress was associated with lower perceived support from peers and faculty, while reported microaggressions were negatively related to faculty empathy. The strongest effects were involvement in MSA on social adjustment, and having a white identity on perceived faculty support. This study contributes to our understanding of the role of student affairs professionals, faculty, and higher education administrators in supporting hijabi students to succeed as their whole authentic selves.