Minority Youth Research Articles

Social and institutional inclusion in multi-ethnic schools enable better intergroup relations for majority youth and higher school achievement for minority youth

Inclusive school climates have been related to more friendly and equal intergroup relations among majority and ethnic minority youth. Yet, comprehensive research distinguishing majority and ethnic minority group perspectives on both social and institutional inclusion, and looking beyond individual perceptions of inclusion is missing. Taking a multi-group and multi-level approach, we assessed the actual social climate (aggregating majority intergroup attitudes within schools) and institutional climate (coding school diversity policies); and we tested associations with intergroup relations (i.e., individual intergroup bias and contact) and school performance (i.e., self-reported Dutch language grades) as individual outcomes for both majority and minority youth. To this end, we draw on a large-scale survey of 1814 native-origin majority and 1068 Turkish- and Moroccan-origin minority youth in the same 65 Flemish-Belgian middle schools. As expected for majority youth, a more inclusive ingroup social climate predicts less intergroup bias; and more social and institutional inclusion jointly predict more intergroup contact with minority peers. For minority youth, an inclusive outgroup social climate predicts higher Dutch grades; yet social and institutional inclusion were unrelated to their intergroup attitudes or contact.

Legal protections for sexual and gender minority youth in foster care: A review of Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act (Normalcy Standards)

The aim of this study was to investigate legal protections for sexual and gender minority (SGM) youth population who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex (LGBTQ+), or any nonheterosexual orientation, gender identity, or expression (SOGIE) within the context of the United States (US) publicly administered state child welfare foster care system through federal Public Law 113–183 (Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act – Prudent Parenting for short). SGM youth are identified in foster care 2.5 times higher than their heterosexual peers and often report worse outcomes. There are some federal recommendations for SGM youth, but it does not include normalcy or other activities that are federally supported. A state-by-state analysis of legislation, policy, implementation policy and youth bill of rights was conducted. While there was significant variance across the USA, many states provided levels of support in their legislation, policy implementation and youth bill of rights that could assist SGM youth impact normalcy efforts. More research is needed to investigate if SGM youth in foster care experience protections in the states that have legal protections.

Strategies to promote safety for sexual and gender minority youth in secondary schools: A longitudinal analysis.

In order to promote school safety for sexual and gender minority youth (SGMY), many schools implement strategies such as SGM-focused policies and gender-sexuality alliances (GSAs). Little is known about the effects such strategies have over time on feelings of safety at school for SGMY. Hierarchical Linear Models were conducted using longitudinal data from 417 SGMY attending secondary schools to examine trajectories of feelings of safety and the effects of SGM-focused policies, GSA presence, or GSA membership on feelings of safety. Findings indicate that SGM-focused policies and GSAs had direct benefits for safety at school SGMY, both independently and in combination; however, GSA membership was not. Schools should implement a combination of school strategies to promote safer environments for SGMY.

Battle Against Effects of Discrimination with Belonging and Support: Mental Health Risk and Protective Factors Among Sexual and Gender Minority Youth

Battle Against Effects of Discrimination with Belonging and Support: Mental Health Risk and Protective Factors Among Sexual and Gender Minority Youth

Telehealth Outreach Program for Child Traumatic Stress: Strategies for Long-Term Sustainability

Background: There are high documented rates of exposure to traumatic events and mental health disorders among youths yet existing disparities in access to care for racial and ethnic minority youths and youths in rural communities. Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) is an evidence-based behavioral health therapy for children. The delivery of TF-CBT via telehealth can decrease access to care barriers. An interdisciplinary clinical team developed a training program to guide clinicians to effectively provide TF-CBT via telehealth. The goal of this study was to describe variation in implementation processes of the telehealth TF-CBT program and identify barriers and facilitators to program implementation post-training, which were utilized to develop implementation strategies for intervention sustainability. Methods: Using a mixed-methods approach, data were collected on telehealth implementation processes and facilitators and barriers to the delivery of telehealth TF-CBT. This study was guided by an adapted implementation science framework, namely the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, Sustainment model. Interviews and surveys were completed with clinical site leaders who had participated in the telehealth TF-CBT training. Results: Throughout clinical sites, there was varied adoption and penetration of the telehealth TF-CBT program. Facilitators to implementation included leadership and site staff buy in, community needs, and training resources, while barriers included funding, available logistical resources, and child and family involvement. Conclusions: The feedback gained from this project assisted in the development of implementation strategies for increased adoption and sustainment of TF-CBT delivered via telehealth. Strategies include ongoing interactive assistance and resource support, enhanced training for stakeholders, and program adaptations, with the goal to increase access to quality mental health care for underserved populations.

Through the eyes of my peers: Sharing perceptions of unequal treatment in ethno-racially diverse classrooms.

Perceptions of unequal treatment, especially when shared, can challenge the status-quo. Starting from the social grounding of shared perceptions, we ask when perceptions of inequality align and converge in ethno-racially diverse peer groups. We are especially interested when perceptions are shared among peers across ethno-racial group boundaries. Social-psychological research suggests asymmetric sharing: Ethno-racial minority group members often see less inequality with more majority contact, while in some cases ethno-racial majority members perceive more inequality with more minority contact. Therefore, we ask if perceptions of inequality are shared across minority and majority groups within time and if perceptions of inequality converge over time. We focus on schools as sites of inequality and cross-group interactions. First, we tested our predictions with 290 minority and 468 majority youth in 53 classes in the United States using multilevel modelling. Next, we implemented follow-up studies in Belgium with 1,800 minority and 1,700 majority adolescents in 433 classes using longitudinal multilevel models. In line with intragroup sharing, minority and majority youth shared their minority and majority peers' perceptions of inequality, respectively. Furthermore, we documented cross-group sharing: Majority youth also shared their minority peers' perceptions, especially in contexts with higher minority proportions. We found consistent evidence of sharing minority perceptions, so that both majority and minority youth would see inequality through their minority peers' eyes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Raised by White People. Conceptualisations of ‘Culture’ in the Foster Placement of African Minority Youth in Norway

AbstractThis paper examines the intricate dynamics of transethnic foster placement in Norway, focusing on African minority youth and how ‘culture’ and ‘identity’ is conceptualised within this context. Through semi-structured interviews, the study builds on the lived experiences of a set of 15 families (including 60 children), alongside insights from fostered individuals, foster parents, and a placement official. The discussion delves into the profound effects of cultural dislocation and identity crisis experienced by minority youth, problematising how foster placement often leads to adverse life trajectories, including issues with uprootedness, substance abuse, psychiatric illness, and loss of ethnic identity. At the core of the discussion is the contention that while the child protection system in Norway is mandated to safeguard children, it inadvertently neglects the cultural rights and identity development of African minority youth. Employing insight from Franz Fanon and Jean-Paul Sartre to articulate the psychological impact and moral implications of such transethnic placements, the paper argues for re-evaluating assimilation practices and cultural rights within the child protection framework, highlighting the need for a culturally sensitive and rights-based approach to foster care. This research contributes to the broader discourse on human rights and social work, emphasising the ethical and legal dimensions of fostering minority children.

Differences in Mental Health Between Female Sexual Minority and Heterosexual Youth with a Substance Use Disorder Who Are Experiencing Homelessness.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine differences in mental health outcomes of two groups within youth experiencing homelessness (YEH) and who have a substance use disorder (SUD): sexual minority (SM) and heterosexual females. Methods: This study used baseline data from four randomized clinical trials of substance use interventions for YEH with a SUD to examine differences in depression and suicidality between SM and heterosexual female youth. Participants were between 12 and 24 years of age. Meta-analytic methods were used to aggregate data across studies to estimate differences in mental health. Results: Results indicated that female SM-YEH had higher depression symptoms (Hedge's g [g]=0.20; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.01-0.39), higher risk of a history of suicide behavior (risk ratio = 1.63; 95% CI: 1.17-2.27), and a greater number of suicide behaviors (g = 0.31; 95% CI: 0.09-0.54) compared to their heterosexual peers. These effect sizes were not moderated by age. Conclusion: Female SM-YEH had elevated levels of depression and suicidality compared to their heterosexual peers. The findings of this study align with research on mental health disparities between SM and heterosexual youth generally, which underscores the unique struggles and risks associated with identifying as a female SM-YEH with a SUD.

Neighborhood ethnoracial diversity and positive psychotic symptoms among youth at high-risk and healthy comparisons

Neighborhood ethnoracial composition has been associated with schizophrenia, but mechanisms are unclear. This study investigates the moderators and mediators of the association between neighborhood ethnoracial diversity and positive symptoms among youth at clinical high-risk for psychosis (CHR-P) and healthy comparisons (HC). Data were collected as part of The North American Prodrome Longitudinal Study and included 492 youth at CHR-P and 136 HCs. Neighborhood ethnoracial diversity measures the probability that two people chosen at random will be from different ethnoracial groups. Attenuated positive symptoms were derived from the Scale of Prodromal Symptoms. Peer victimization and discriminatory experiences were constructed as latent variables. Using structural equation modeling, this study tested the relationship of these variables and included the following covariates: age, sex, neighborhood poverty, and depressive symptoms. Greater neighborhood ethnoracial diversity was associated with reduced positive symptoms among ethnoracial minorities at CHR-P (β=-3.78; 95 % CI [-6.61, -0.84]). Fewer life events of peer victimization (β=-0.13; 95 % CI [-0.24, -0.03]) leading to perceived ethnoracial discrimination (β=0.56; 95 % CI [0.45, 0.67]) mediated 15.06 % of this association. These findings deepen our understanding of the social determinants of psychosis and may help develop effective interventions to prevent psychosis, especially among ethnoracial minority youth at high risk.

Associations Between PrEP Stigma, PrEP Confidence, and PrEP Adherence: Conditional Indirect Effects of Anticipated HIV Stigma.

Research has linked stigma surrounding preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to poor HIV prevention outcomes, including PrEP adherence. However, there remains a limited understanding of the mechanisms through which PrEP stigma affects PrEP adherence, specifically among sexual and gender minority (SGM) youth. In this study, we aimed to investigate the indirect effect of PrEP stigma on PrEP adherence through PrEP confidence and the moderating role of anticipated HIV stigma. Participants included 235 SGM youth, assigned male sex at birth, aged 16-24, and self-reported HIV-negative, with an active PrEP prescription from the Prepared, Protected, emPowered randomized controlled trial. Participants were recruited from 9 clinics in the United States between 2019 and 2021. Using baseline data, we tested cross-sectional indirect and conditional indirect effects using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences Process with confidence intervals and 2000 resamples. We found significant indirect effects, suggesting that PrEP stigma was negatively associated with PrEP confidence, which in turn resulted in both monthly and weekly optimal PrEP adherence (Indirect effects: B = -0.11, Standard Error [SE] = 0.05, CI: [-0.244 to -0.032]; B = -0.09, SE = 0.04, CI: [-0.191 to -0.014], respectively). Anticipated HIV stigma moderated these indirect effects (B = -0.11, SE = 0.08, CI: [-0.315 to -0.001]; B = -0.09, SE = 0.06, CI: [-0.245 to -0.001], respectively), suggesting that the conditional indirect effects were significant at high but not low levels of anticipated HIV stigma. Results suggest that SGM youth who are on PrEP anticipating HIV stigma experience a compounding effect of PrEP stigma on PrEP confidence, consequently leading to suboptimal adherence. Interventions addressing the intersectionality of PrEP and HIV stigmas and enhancing confidence could improve PrEP adherence, particularly among SGM youth.

Depressive Symptoms and Suicidal Ideation in Sexual Minority Adolescents: An Examination of Social Reward Responsiveness and Support as Moderators

Sexual minority (SM) youth are at increased risk of depression and suicidal ideation (SI), due in part to discrimination and other stressors. This raises questions about social factors that may increase risk or resilience to stressors commonly faced by SM youth. The goal of this multimethod study was to examine both neural processing of social feedback and perceived social support as potential moderators of the association between SM identity, depressive symptoms, and endorsement of SI in adolescents. For this study, 165 adolescents aged 14-17 (22.42% identifying as SM) were oversampled for current depression. Participants self-reported social support, depressive symptoms, and SI. Electroencephalogram (EEG) was recorded while participants completed a computerized peer interaction task in which the reward positivity (RewP) component was measured in response to social acceptance vs. rejection feedback. We tested social RewP and social support as moderators of associations between SM identity, depressive symptoms, and whether SI was reported. SM youth reported lower social support and elevated depressive symptoms and were more likely to endorse SI compared to non-SM youth. Social RewP moderated the associations between SM identity, depressive symptoms, and SI such that SM youth with blunted neural responses to social acceptance had higher depression and were more likely to endorse SI. Lower social support was associated with greater depressive symptoms and SI, but social support was not a significant moderator of the association between SM identity and symptoms. This is among the first studies to use affective neuroscience methods to examine social processes in SGM youth and our findings underscore the role of social factors in SGM youth mental health.

Familias con Orgullo: Pilot Study of a Family Intervention for Latinx Sexual Minority Youth to Prevent Drug Use, Sexual Risk Behavior, and Depressive Symptoms.

Families are key in the healthy development of Latinx sexual minority youth (Latinx SMY), a group that experiences behavioral, mental, and sexual health disparities. Despite this, there are no family-based interventions for Latinx SMY and their families to prevent drug use, sexual risk behaviors, and depressive symptoms. The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the preliminary impact (i.e., estimated effect sizes) of Familias con Orgullo (FcO) and examine its feasibility and acceptability among 30 Latinx SMY and their parents. Parents and adolescents were randomized to FcO or a control condition and assessed pre/post-intervention. Feasibility was measured based on session completion and effect sizes. Focus groups were conducted to evaluate intervention acceptability. Findings showed promising effects favoring FcO on parent-adolescent communication (d = 0.46) and parental involvement (d = 0.34). There were also promising effects favoring FcO on suicidal thoughts (OR = 0.75) and depression symptoms (OR = 0.69). Finally, 100% of the adolescents in FcO either continued to remain drug-free or transitioned from current use to no use (from baseline to post-intervention) compared to 74% in the control. Effect sizes for condomless sex, parental monitoring, and positive parenting were small. Session completion (above 80%) and focus group findings indicated strong feasibility and acceptability. FcO holds promise for reducing drug use and depressive symptoms and improving family functioning among Latinx SMY.

Influence of trauma on longitudinal association between depressive symptoms and use of alcohol and cannabis among young people.

Trauma, depressive symptoms, and the use of alcohol and drugs are common among youth, especially those with marginalized racial/ethnic identities, sexual and gender minority youth (SGMY), and those with low socioeconomic status, homelessness, and HIV-positive status. However, most research on trauma, depression, and substance use among such youth is cross-sectional. This article examines these patterns over time. Participants were youth with multiple life challenges (N = 1,728) recruited from 13 community-based agencies and health centers in Los Angeles, CA, and New Orleans, LA, and reassessed twice at 4-month intervals over 8 months (follow-up > 70%). Youth were predominantly Black, Latiné, and SGMY, with an average age of 21 years (range 12-24). We analyzed the association between trauma, depression, and substance use using a Bayesian approach to latent growth curve modeling. Trauma had a robust, positive association with depressive symptoms and substance use, although this association differed depending on whether alcohol or cannabis use was examined. Higher levels of trauma were also associated with a slower decline in depressive symptoms over time. Study findings highlight the longitudinal association between trauma and both depression and substance use. This suggests the potential utility of trauma-focused interventions among vulnerable youth with one or both of these issues. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The role of religion in ethnic minority youth’s civic agency: theoretical considerations and a case study from Finland

ABSTRACT This article discusses the multifaceted relationship between religion and civic agency. We present a conceptual framework representing the individual foundation and social aspects of civic agency. Based on qualitative semi-structured interviews, we investigated how young people and religious communities contribute to civic agency. The findings indicate that participating in religious groups provides pleasant emotional experiences, cognitive opportunities, experimental circumstances, a sense of belonging, engagement with others, and responsibility. However, normative adult – youth hierarchies may compromise young people’s agency in everyday decision-making processes. The civic potential of religion for meaning, value, and social relations can be addressed in religious and civic education, and pupils’ experiences in their religious communities can be used to enhance civic engagement. Furthermore, education in young people’s own religious traditions would give them the tools to negotiate issues in their religious communities.

Using Positive Psychology to Uplift Minority Youth: The Importance of Sound Conceptualization and Contextualization

As addressed in the critiques related to theory, measurement, and contextualization identified in Van Zyl et al.’s (J Posit Psychol 1–30, 2023) systematic review, positive psychology has failed to robustly conceptualize and assess the contextually nuanced character and virtue development of non-WEIRD samples, particularly ethnic-racial and religious minority youth, such as Muslim American adolescents. The purpose of this commentary was to provide a conceptually sound and contextualized approach to studying virtue development that uplifts minority youth’s lived experiences and does not undermine their development. We presented potential solutions for criticisms of positive psychology related to theoretical underpinnings, measurement, and decontextualized approach and illustrated the utility of these solutions with concrete examples within the context of Muslim American adolescents as an example of a non-WEIRD population. The paper concluded with recommendations for how these strategies could be similarly applied to uplift other ethnic-racial and religious minority youth populations.

Frequency of self-reported persistent post-treatment genital hypoesthesia among past antidepressant users: a cross-sectional survey of sexual and gender minority youth in Canada and the US

Frequency of self-reported persistent post-treatment genital hypoesthesia among past antidepressant users: a cross-sectional survey of sexual and gender minority youth in Canada and the US

Prevalence and sociodemographic associations with weight discrimination in early adolescents

ObjectivesTo evaluate the prevalence of weight discrimination (the perception of being treated unfairly based on weight) and its sociodemographic associations among early adolescents aged 10 to 13 in the United States. MethodsWe analyzed cross-sectional data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study in Year Two (2018–2020). Multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted, with perceived weight discrimination as the dependent variable and age, sex, sexual orientation, race and ethnicity, body mass index (BMI) category, household income, and highest parental education level as adjusted independent variables. Interaction with BMI category and weight discrimination by sex, sexual orientation, race and ethnicity, and household income was tested for. ResultsIn our analytical sample (N = 7129), we found that 5.46 % of early adolescents reported experiencing weight discrimination. Adolescents with BMI percentile ≥95th (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 6.41; 95 % confidence interval [CI], 4.71–8.70), <5th (AOR, 3.85; 95 % CI, 2.10–7.07), and ≥85th to <95th (AOR, 2.22; 95 % CI, 1.51–3.25) had higher odds of experiencing weight discrimination compared to adolescents with BMI percentile 5th to <85th. Sex and race and ethnicity modified the relationship between BMI category and weight discrimination. Adolescents who identified as gay/bisexual (AOR, 3.46; 95 % CI, 2.19–5.45) had higher odds of experiencing weight discrimination compared with heterosexual adolescents. ConclusionsOur results underscore the need for anti-bullying campaigns and positive media representation of all body types. Clinicians should recognize that sexual minority youth disproportionately experience weight discrimination, emphasizing the need for affirmative healthcare and early intervention to prevent the mental health impacts of such discrimination.

Momentary Minority Stress, Nicotine Use, and Craving: Moderation by Nicotine-Use Motives Among Sexual Minority Youth

ABSTRACT Objective This pre-registered analysis aimed to examine the moderating role of nicotine-use motives on the association between minority stress and nicotine use and craving among sexual minority youth. Method Data stem from a 30-day ecological momentary assessment study conducted among 83 sexual minority youth ages 15–19 years old (M age = 17.96, SD = 1.10; 56.63% cisgender women; 73.5% non-Hispanic White). Participants were instructed to complete at least four assessments per day on wireless devices. Two types of multilevel models were estimated: models predicting day-level nicotine use and models predicting momentary nicotine use craving. Results Experiencing minority stressors was not associated with day-level nicotine use, but it was associated with greater momentary nicotine craving. Nicotine use-motives did not moderate the association between minority stress and nicotine use. In contrast, stress-reduction motives, assessed as a person-level trait, moderated the association between minority stress and nicotine craving, such that nicotine craving after experiencing a minority stressor was consistently higher relative to when minority stress had not been reported. Sensitivity analyses that examined associations between minority stress and nicotine use on a given day, regardless of temporal order, showed that minority stress was associated with higher odds of nicotine use on that day. Conclusions Experiencing minority stressors did not predict day-level nicotine use but does contribute to greater momentary nicotine craving, informing minority stress theory. Consistency of the minority stress and nicotine craving relation, largely regardless of trait-level motives, highlights the potential context dependence of nicotine craving among sexual minority youth. Preregistration: This study was preregistered at osf.io/w5sz9.

The Developmental Collision Hypothesis: An Empirical Test With Three Generations of Sexual Minority Youth.

Sexual minority youth experience disproportionate rates of mental health symptomatology relative to their heterosexual peers. Less is known about why these disparities have persisted despite growing public awareness of sexual diversity. The developmental collision hypothesis states that increased cultural visibility of sexual diversity has accelerated the developmental timing of sexual minority identity formation processes such that they collide with early adolescence, a uniquely sensitive period for experiencing identity-based stigma and associated mental health vulnerability. To test this hypothesis, levels and relations between ages of sexual minority identity development milestones, frequency of LGBT-related victimization, and depressive symptoms were examined across three age-matched but cohort-distinct samples of sexual minority adolescents. Data come from three secondary datasets of sexual minority youth who were adolescents in the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s, respectively: the Challenges and Coping Study, the Victimization and Mental Health among High Risk Youths Study, and the Risk and Protective Factors for Suicide among Sexual Minority Youth Study (n = 1312; Mage = 17.34, SD = 1.30; 52% female). Adolescents from more recent cohorts reported earlier mean ages of several milestones but similar frequencies of LGBT-related victimization relative to those from less recent cohorts. Path analysis models showed that earlier milestones were associated indirectly with more depressive symptoms through LGBT-related victimization. Notably, earlier ages of self-identification and disclosure of a sexual minority identity were also directly related to less depressive symptoms. Few generational differences in relations between constructs emerged. Findings garner initial support for the developmental collision hypothesis and suggest that LGBT-related victimization, rather than earlier milestones themselves, increases mental health vulnerability.

Providing LGBTQIA+ affirming mental health services in schools: A cultural adaptation of dialectical behavior therapy Skills Training for Emotional Problem Solving for Adolescents (DBT STEPS-A).

Despite growing concerns related to the youth mental health crisis and the well-being of sexual and gender minority youth, specifically, most mental health interventions fail to meet the unique needs of this population. Research and clinical guidance have recommended that approaching mental health treatments through a lens of minority stress and intersectionality can be particularly helpful in addressing the mental health concerns of LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning/queer, intersex, and asexual, with the '+' capturing other identities within the gender and sexually diverse population) youth. Because many adolescents do not have access to mental health care, schools have an important role to play in meeting the mental health needs of LGBTQIA+ youth. To address these issues, we propose LGBTQIA+ affirming adaptations to the dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) Skills Training for Emotional Problem Solving for Adolescents (STEPS-A) curriculum using Pachankis et al.'s (2023) Adaptation Model to provide practitioners with a culturally affirming model of this social-emotional curriculum, while highlighting the utility of this framework in adapting other evidence-based interventions in schools. We walk readers through each module of DBT STEPS-A and provide rationale for adapting these skills for LGBTQIA+ youth. We offer specific adaptations that facilitators can make through psychoeducation and skills training. For example, we provide sample dialectics that mirror the experience of minority stress and propose examples of coping skills that are relevant for LGBTQIA+ youth (e.g., distracting and self-soothing to tolerate distress). Finally, the role of school psychologists in meeting the mental health needs of LGBTQIA+ youth is discussed along with implications for practice and future research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).