Queer Populations Research Articles

Minority stress and psychological well-being in queer populations

Queer individuals experience unique stressors related to their minority status, negatively impacting their mental health. One factor contributing to these disparities is exposure to minority stress, which involves social stressors related to minority status. Previous research has focused on the negative impacts of minority stress, with less attention to its impact on positive psychological functioning. This study explored the relationship between minority stress and psychological well-being among 270 queer individuals in German-speaking countries. Participants completed an online survey assessing minority stress and psychological well-being. Analyses of Covariance indicated that proximal factors of minority stress—such as self-stigma, concealment, and expectations of rejection—had a particularly negative impact on psychological well-being, but no effects could be found for gender and sexual orientation. Additionally, gender identity but not sexual orientation had a significant effect on minority stress, with non-binary and other gender identities reporting higher minority stress compared to females. Thematic analysis revealed concerns about survey inclusivity, gender identity challenges, and intersectionality of minority identities. Our findings emphasize the significant impact of minority stress on the psychological well-being of queer individuals, particularly non-binary people and those with diverse gender identities, while demonstrating the need for inclusive research methodologies, tailored interventions, and policies addressing the diverse experiences within the queer community.

An inquiry into queer experiences of regimes of morality in Indian schools: a phenomenological institutional ethnography

Previous studies indicate various atrocities against queer individuals in schools globally. However, no in-depth inquiries have been conducted into the experiences of queer individuals in Indian schools. A novel form of ethnography – phenomenological institutional ethnography (PIE) based on Schutz’s phenomenology of life-worlds and Smith’s institutional ethnography was devised to conduct a qualitative inquiry into the experiences of queer individuals. Participants included 19 queer individuals from different regions of India. Findings revealed five forms of disciplinary mechanisms in schools: regimenting through silencing, moral dictation, name-calling, public shaming, and physical abuse, which deleteriously affect the development of self-concept among queer individuals, and leads to experiences of alienation and inauthentic self-expression, guilty conscience and internalized homophobia, and compromised mental health and low self-esteem. Developing inclusive policies to provide a supportive school environment in India for the queer population is suggested.

Trends in psychosocial research on LGBTIQ+ populations in Latin America: Findings, challenges, and concerns

AbstractPsychosocial research on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer (LGBTIQ+) populations from Latin America is relatively recent. Initially, research focused mainly on prejudice, using qualitative techniques. Studies on LGBTIQ+ populations, using more sophisticated psychosocial theories such as those of Herek or Meyer, began in the mid‐1990s. This study deals with surveys and scales based on non‐probabilistic samples, LGBTIQ+ populations being the first studied. In the early 2000s, queer and/or LGBTIQ+ theories were introduced, and research has been much more interdisciplinary. This paper describes the theoretical frameworks used in LGBTIQ+ research in Latin America and examines distinctions in the findings from Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, and Brazil. Future research must involve cross‐cultural studies, systematic or scoping reviews, and studies on non‐binary populations. Finally, the conditions for reimaging LGBTIQ+ research in Latin America are discussed.

Health Behaviors and Experiences of LGBTQ + Individuals during 2022 Mpox Outbreak: Findings from the QVax Study.

The 2022 global outbreak of Mpox (formerly named Monkeypox) disproportionately impacted lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) populations, with a significant impact on sexual minority men. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among LGBTQ + adults living in New Jersey and New York to examine vaccination behaviors for Mpox. We sought out to understand the health experiences and behaviors of the population during the initial outbreak. This analysis included a subset of participants (n = 253) who completed the survey after the onset of the Mpox outbreak in May 2022. We examined awareness of and concerns about Mpox, willingness to vaccinate, as well as vaccination access and vaccination uptake. Our findings indicate that white, cisgender, gay men, as well as employed individuals, had the highest rates of vaccination for Mpox. Those with higher levels of concern about the virus were both more likely to be vaccinated and to report difficulty securing an appointment. Overall, our findings reinforce the health disparities in the population, demonstrating as with many other health conditions that white and economically stable individuals have advantages in accessing care.

Addressing the Health Needs of LGBTQ Persons in Medical Curricula: A Review of Educational Programs.

Given the vulnerability of and the importance of caring for the specific health care needs of the growing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) population, the authors attempted to identify all educational interventions in psychiatric settings with quantitative outcomes targeting medical students, residents, and physicians in postgraduate settings. To gain insight from other disciplines that have published research in this area, a second objective was to review studies in teaching in those other disciplines. The authors sought to describe the methods of selected studies. The authors searched the published English-language literature indexed in PubMed, EMBASE, and PsycINFO using key terms for health care education concerning LGBTQ populations. The authors described and critically appraised studies with quantitative outcomes designed to enhance knowledge, skills, and attitudes in treating the LGBTQ community. Of the 15 trials identified, 10 included medical students, 4 included internal medicine residents or medical school faculty, and 1 included oncologists. We did not find any randomized controlled trials or controlled nonrandomized trials of curricula dedicated to teaching learners in psychiatry. All of the studies included a presurvey, followed by an educational intervention and then a postsurvey assessment. The educational interventions, outcome measures, and quality of studies varied widely. Four studies enrolled self-identified members of the LGBTQ community as trainers and facilitators of the educational interventions. The lack of high-quality controlled studies indicates the need to develop evidence-based curricula to support the education of the psychiatric workforce to provide for the special needs of LGBTQ persons.

LGBTQ+ individuals are not explicitly represented in emergency medicine simulation curricula

Background Medical educational societies have emphasized the inclusion of marginalized populations, including the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) population, in educational curricula. Lack of inclusion can contribute to health inequality and mistreatment due to unconscious bias. Little didactic time is spent on the care of LGBTQ+ individuals in emergency medicine (EM) curricula. Simulation based medical education can be a helpful pedagogy in teaching cross-cultural care and communication skills. In this study, we sought to determine the representation of the LGBTQ+ population in EM simulation curricula. We also sought to determine if representations of the LGBTQ+ population depicted stigmatized behavior. Methods We reviewed 971 scenarios from six simulation case banks for LGBTQ+ representation. Frequency distributions were determined for major demographic variables. Chi-Squared or Fisher’s Exact Test, depending on the cell counts, were used to determine if relationships existed between LGBTQ+ representation and bank type, author type, and stigmatized behavior. Results Of the 971 scenarios reviewed, eight (0.82%) scenarios explicitly represented LGBTQ+ patients, 319 (32.85%) represented heterosexual patients, and the remaining 644 (66.32%) did not specify these patient characteristics. All cases representing LGBTQ+ patients were found in institutional case banks. Three of the eight cases depicted stigmatized behavior. Conclusions LGBTQ+ individuals are not typically explicitly represented in EM simulation curricula. LGBTQ+ individuals should be more explicitly represented to reduce stigma, allow EM trainees to practice using gender affirming language, address health conditions affecting the LGBTQ+ population, and address possible bias when treating LGBTQ+ patients.

Family Support, Outness, and Psychological Well-Being in LGBTQ+ Adult Children of Immigrants

Researchers have documented mental health issues of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) populations. Those with multiple minority identities may face greater mental health concerns due to minority stress. Little research has examined the mental health of LGBTQ+ adult children of immigrants. The objective of this study was to determine if family support, as measured by interpersonal and environmental microaggressions and microaffirmations, predicted levels of outness and levels of psychological well-being in LGBTQ+ adult children of immigrants and to assess whether family support was a moderator in the relationship between outness and well-being. 109 participants completed an online survey that included three measures and demographic information. Multiple regression showed that family support did not predict outness in LGBTQ+ adult children of immigrants, but environmental microaffirmations predicted psychological well-being and environmental microaggressions moderated the relationship between outness and psychological well-being. We discuss implications for helping professionals and future directions for research.

The Subtleties of Self-Presentation: A study of sensitive disclosure among sexual minority adolescents

Disclosing sensitive information online, such as an LGBTQ+ identity or potentially stigmatized behavior, can be necessary for many reasons, especially for those who identify as LGBTQ+ and may rely on social platforms for meeting others and social support. At the same time, these disclosures can lead to harassment and stigmatization. Evidence suggests that today's social platforms provide many more options and opportunities for sensitive disclosure than are possible offline, but we lack a taxonomy of disclosure strategies. Drawing on Goffman's self-presentation framework, we examined two types of sensitive disclosure within the cisgender male adolescent gay, bisexual, and/or queer (GBQ) population: revealing one's GBQ identity on social media and revealing the use of an anti-HIV medication, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), on both social media and dating apps. We find that today's online environment, with its different affordances, provides new opportunities for disclosure, such as the use of associations, repeated over time. Participants had distinct ideas about what disclosures were normative and relevant to particular social platforms and audiences. Lastly, we discuss suggestions for how platform design might promote sensitive disclosure.

"I felt like a freak when I would go to the doctor": Investigating healthcare experiences across the lifespan among older LGBT and transgender/gender diverse adults.

In the past several decades, the United States has enacted civil rights legislation protecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) populations from discrimination, including enacting proactive healthcare laws such as the Affordable Care Act. However, given today's divisive politics, LGBTQ people's access to appropriate and respectful health care is precarious. This study explored the disconnections from and connections to health care and the respective health effects among two self-identified groups: i) older LGBT adults and ii) transgender and gender-diverse (TG/GD) adults. Using a life course perspective, qualitative data from 17 older LGBT and TG/GD participants were analyzed. Thematic and content analyses indicated that despite progress made, discrimination and prejudice in obtaining health care persist, particularly among TG/GD people of color. The results highlight the ongoing challenges LGBTQ populations face as they risk being denied care by healthcare providers and disconnected from the healthcare system.

Satir’s Experiential Model Informed by Critical Theory: A Trans-Inclusive Case Study Analysis

Research surrounding queer populations has been extremely limited, especially for couples that include transgender individuals. This paper will have a clinical focus on how Satir’s Experiential Model can be integrated with Intersectional Feminist Theory and Queer Theory to create a trans-affirming treatment approach. The fusion of these models allows therapists to challenge traditional power dynamics and societal messages in therapy. This article provides practical ways that clinicians can adapt traditional experiential interventions in critically informed ways. Using a session-by-session overview, the case study demonstrates how a clinician might integrate these approaches. Recommendations for clinicians, students, and the field are included.

"…full of opportunities, but not for everyone": A narrative inquiry into mechanisms of labor market inequity among precariously employed gay, bisexual, and queer men.

This study brings lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (trans), and queer (LGBTQ+) populations into scholarly discourse related to precarious employment through a political economy of queer struggle. Drawing on narrative inquiry, 20 gay, bisexual, and queer men shared stories of precarious employment that were analyzed using Polkinghorne's narrative analysis. Results tell an overarching narrative in three parts that follow the trajectory of participants' early life experiences, entering the labor market and being precariously employed. Part 1: Devaluation of LGBTQ+ identities and adverse life experiences impacted participants' abilities to plan their careers and complete postsecondary education. Part 2: Participants experienced restricted opportunities due to safety concerns and learned to navigate white, cis, straight, Canadian ideals that are valued in the labor market. Part 3: Participants were without protections to respond to hostile treatment for fear of losing their employment. These stories of precarious employment illustrate unique ways that LGBTQ+ people might be particularly susceptible to exploitative labor markets.

Climate change-related disasters & the health of LGBTQ+ populations

Climate change may widen pre-existing health disparities in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) populations. We argue that LGBTQ+ communities will have more exposure to climate change related disasters, be more susceptible to the adverse impacts of climate change and will have fewer resources to recover from climate disasters. Scholars, practitioners, policymakers, and climatologists need to carefully consider the potential for disparate effects of climate change disasters on the health of LGBTQ+ people. Legislative action protecting LGBTQ+ populations from discrimination, more LGBTQ+ inclusive data collection efforts, and LGBTQ+ sensitivity trainings for disaster relief providers are needed now to ameliorate climate change-related LGBTQ+ health disparities.

Emphasizing Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Data Capture for Improved Cardiovascular Care of the LGBTQ+ Population

ImportanceThe rising self-identifying lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) population makes understanding the unique health care needs of sexual and gender minoritized patients an urgent one. The interaction between minority stress and cardiovascular disease has been well described among underrepresented minoritized populations. The underrepresentation of minoritized populations in clinical research is partly responsible for worse cardiovascular outcomes in these populations. The absence of sexual orientation and gender identity and expression (SOGIE) data makes it difficult to understand the cardiovascular health of LGBTQ+ adults, thereby widening health care disparities in this population. Advancing cardiovascular health equity for LGBTQ+ patients must begin with careful and accurate SOGIE data collection.ObservationsCurrent SOGIE data capture remains inadequate despite federal mandates. Challenges in data collection include political and regulatory discrimination, patient/practitioner hesitancy, lack of supportive guidance on SOGIE data collection, improper terminology, regulatory inertia, and inadequate and often incorrect integration of SOGIE data into electronic health records (EHRs). Additional challenges include grouping participants as “others” for statistical significance. The inclusion of SOGIE data has demonstrated an impact in other fields like cancer survivorship and surgery. The same needs to be done for cardiology.Conclusions and RelevancePotential solutions for improving much-needed SOGIE data collection include (1) implementing LGBTQ+ inclusive policies, (2) integrating SOGIE data into the EHR, (3) educating health care professionals on the relevance of SOGIE to patient-centered care, and (4) creating a diverse cardiovascular workforce. These steps can substantially enhance the ability to collect SOGIE data to address LGBTQ+ cardiovascular health care disparities.

Radical informed consent: considering a new approach for reproductive justice in social work practice

Abortion restrictions most greatly impact people of the global majority and queer populations, and social work scholarship has repeatedly called for the profession to engage in a reproductive justice framework across all levels of practice. This article does not provide another tool created by a White scholar with privilege; instead, I encourage social workers to consider: what is radical informed consent, and how can we do it?

Mental Health Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Aging Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Populations.

The COVID-19 pandemic affected numerous subpopulations of people in unique ways. This study evaluated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health status of Broward County's aging lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) seniors and identified strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for interventions to enhance positive mental health outcomes. The study was performed from April 2021 through July 2021. Online surveys measuring anxiety, depression, social support, and resilience were delivered by email to 47 residents of Wilton Manors, Florida. Study data were collected and collated using research electronic data capture tools with bivariate analysis using the Mann-Whitney test and generalized linear regression. Bivariate analysis showed that males scored significantly higher on the social interactions subscale of the Duke Social Support Index, indicating greater social support, yet there was not a significant difference with sexual orientation or living situation. Multivariate analysis revealed differences for several dependent variables including anxiety and depression reporting being lower in LGBTQ individuals. This study provides important insight into specific mental health challenges faced by Broward County's LGBTQ seniors, which can be applied to other LGBTQ populations across the globe. Using the results, targeted interventions can be developed to help improve mental health outcomes during periods of isolation for all individuals.

Adaptation of the Information, Motivation, and Behavioral Skills Framework for Understanding COVID-19 Prevention Behaviors among Youth and Young Adults by Sexual Identity, Gender Identity and Race/Ethnicity

Youth and young adults (YYA) have been uniquely affected by COVID-19. Behavioral models have not yet been applied to understand YYA’s preventive behavior, though the Information–Motivation–Behavior (IMB) model may be appropriate. We used data from a national, diverse survey of COVID-19 effects and prevention behaviors in YYA ages 14–24 (n = 1026) and conducted an exploratory factor analysis and bivariate linear regressions to assess the association between demographics and IMB measures. Significant differences by sexual identity were identified, with bisexual/pansexual, gay/lesbian, and queer populations reporting significantly lower prevention stigma, in comparison to their straight respondents. Non-binary respondents (vs. women/girls) and transgender and gender diverse individuals (vs. cisgender) had significantly higher intentions to social distance. Racial/ethnicity differences were also found in lower prevention efficacy beliefs (Latinx and multiracial vs. white), and lower motivation norms (Black and Latinx vs. white). Our findings about critical disparities in IMB measures provide recommendations for future prevention research, practice, and policy development in response to the pandemic, particularly related to highly marginalized communities.

COVID-19 Vaccine Accessibility, Perceptions, and Attitudes in the LGBTQ+ Community.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer populations have historically experienced challenges accessing, trusting, and receiving health care services, which can negatively impact successful uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine series among this population. This research aimed to examine the perceptions and attitudes regarding the acceptability, accessibility, and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine among persons who self-identify within this community. A multidisciplinary, community-focused mixed-methods study was conducted. The quantitative portion of the study was conducted via an online survey throughout the United States for 2 months. The quantitative portion of the study consisted of multiple online focus group sessions after the completion of the survey. The online survey had an sample of 3868 participants, with 31 participants in the focus groups. High levels of acceptability toward COVID-19 vaccines were found within this community. Concerns highlighted included the need for culturally competent care, side effects of the vaccine, and unknown effects of the vaccine with hormone replacement therapy. Racial and ethnic minority, transgender, and nonbinary participants reported higher levels of uncertainty about vaccination. Findings demonstrate that most lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals felt comfortable with the COVID-19 vaccine, had a positive experience with the vaccination process, and believe that the vaccine can protect them and others from COVID-19. When developing future COVID-19 vaccination strategies and rollouts, public health officials should consider prioritizing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals and other marginalized populations by partnering with local organizations to identify trusted organizations.

Queering the Language of Inclusion: Implications from a Content Analysis of Inclusion Language in Developmental Education Scholarship

Inclusion is constantly referenced in educational institutions’ mission and values statements. Despite their purpose of guiding the institution, these brief paragraphs usually create more questions than answers regarding the who, what, and how of inclusion work. This article applies a queered critical discourse studies lens to a manifest content analysis of the term “inclusion” in professional journals from the field of postsecondary developmental education. Queer pedagogies support critical examinations of power and deconstructing dominant discourses. Our analysis of 112 articles across eight journals uncovered how developmental education scholars’ discussion of inclusion and the nature of inclusion work rarely operationally defined who should be included or who is/ought to be included in conversations about educational equity and inclusion. Further, the data included a strand of heteronormative ideologies that suggest an implicit assumption that being inclusive of queer students is only about discussing LGBT students, rather than acting inclusively of the queer population at large. In applying a queer theory lens, we interweave concrete recommendations into our presentation of the findings, challenging educational scholars, educators, and educational leaders to make inclusion language inclusive of all and create spaces that promote discursive as well as physical inclusion.

Using art therapy to address the protective false self when working with queer identity.

The exploration of one’s queer identity can prove significant for queer-identifying people. A result of exploring the multiple layers and aspects of queerness that comprise one's identity is being able to engage in society from the perspective of one’s most authentic self, or as psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott termed it, the ‘true self’. In this paper, I contend that for a queer person to explore their identity, they must first address their protective 'false self', the self that develops from having to comply with the external world. I draw on findings from my dissertation study, which used qualitative methodologies, of an eight-session group art therapy intervention for queer-identifying individuals that aimed to determine whether art therapy can be used to foster self-acceptance. Each session resulted in the creation of an artwork followed by a discussion prompted by the artworks. Many artworks featured bodies and parts of bodies as representations of self and revealed an ambivalence between the true self that wanted to be witnessed and the false self that wanted to conceal the true self. One of the core findings from my dissertation was that the false self only began emerging into the consciousness of the participants at the end of the intervention. In this article, I focus on the artworks created by two participants who attended the group most regularly and tracked the false self in their artworks. This paper argues that there is value in the false self’s protective function as a defence mechanism for the queer population and concludes by highlighting the importance of making visible the false self, through art therapy, before exploring the multiple layers of queer identity.

Queer Mediated Practices as a Method to Center and Sustain Critical Health and Media Literacies

Abstract Queer communities experience challenges when accessing accurate and comprehensive health information. These challenges span across media and information environments and threaten queer health promotion. This paper explored how 11 queer community health workers (chw s) in a Southeastern US state respond to, subvert, and resist these challenges when creating digital health information resources for their queer communities. This longitudinal action research occurred over two years and included multiple qualitative data types. We analyzed these data using qualitative coding, following deductive and inductive strategies. Findings demonstrate how queer chw s: 1) identified risks and barriers to health promotion their communities experienced; 2) created health information resources that proactively guarded against risks and reactively resisted barriers; 3) borrowed content, format, and logic from other digital media sources, remixing and repurposing them in ways relevant to their communities. Findings denote implications for decentering deficit-based approaches to framing the health and media literacies of queer populations.