Recreating diasporic identity and community: Examination of transgender and nonbinary latinx healing from family rejection.

The purpose of this study was to explore the experience of healing from family rejection among transgender and nonbinary Latinx individuals. Participants were asked how they navigated family dynamics related to gender identity and specific behaviors or resources that promoted their healing from experiences of family rejection. Data from 12 interviews with Latinx nonbinary and transgender adults were analyzed through a critical-constructivist grounded theory method resulting in a hierarchy composed of three clusters related to the core category (healing from family rejection leads to the recreation of diasporic identity and community as one learns to live authentically in their ethnic/racial gendered expression). These clusters included recreation of the family system, community-based cultural healing, and autonomy in trans identity and psychological well-being. Relevant contributions to research and implications for psychologists are reviewed: (a) Latinx diasporic identity formation is facilitated through the reconstruction of familial relationships and cultural healing, and (b) chosen family and supportive community networks may adopt the responsibility of ethnic-racial socialization after proximity to family of origin is lost. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Exploring the Efficacy of an Online Intervention in Processing Experiences of Heterosexism Among Autistic-LGBQ + Individuals.

This experimental study explored the use of online expressive writing interventions to cope with distress from heterosexist events among a sample of autistic-LBGQ + individuals. This study included an open writing condition and an emotion focused therapy guided writing condition. Over 89% of the participants indicated that the writing exercises were helpful in processing the event, with significant decreases for measures of depressive and trauma/stressor symptoms. A thematic analysis identified specific aspects of each condition that were helpful for participants in coping with heterosexist distress, such as the development of insight through the emotion-focused exercises. This low-demand exercise is promising as a solo exercise or as a therapy homework assignment, especially given the accessibility of this online intervention for autistic-LGBQ + people.

"Tuned into a different channel": Autistic transgender adults' experiences of intersectional stigma.

In this critical-constructivist grounded theory study, we interviewed 13 autistic-transgender, nonbinary, and/or gender diverse (TNG) individuals on the intersection of their autistic-TNG identities and how they resisted marginalization related to these experiences. Analysis revealed the experiences of living in a world that "doesn't seem quite set up the right way" and situated autistic-TNG experiences in complex set of intersectional processes that require navigating relationships, health care systems, and safety challenges living in a heterosexist, cissexist, and ableist society. Participants had to constantly assess the safety and disclosure of their identities in the face of oppressive systems while claiming space and creating community that affirmed them. We conclude by highlighting the importance of taking an intersectional lens to highlight the many positive aspects of being autistic and TNG, which have been largely absent in research and clinical dialogues. We provide some suggestions for providing culturally responsive mental health and ways neurotypical and cisgender people can begin to challenge ableist and cissexist narratives in their clinical practice and research, alongside autistic-TNG people. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

The stench of bathroom bills and anti-transgender legislation: Anxiety and depression among transgender, nonbinary, and cisgender LGBQ people during a state referendum.

Informed by structural stigma theory, this article presents the results of two studies that explored mental health experiences of transgender, nonbinary, and gender-diverse (TNG) individuals and cisgender lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ) individuals (N = 523) prior to and following a state referendum to remove gender-based protections. In the Preelection Study, a path model explored relationships among individual factors (i.e., TNG identity, history of gender-based victimization), interpersonal variables (i.e., Referendum familiarity, exposure to Referendum-related messages, sexual orientation, and gender identity-specific social support), and mental health factors (i.e., Referendum-related anxiety and depressive symptomatology). Referendum-related anxiety mediated the relationships between TNG identity, gender-based victimization, sexual orientation and gender identity social support, and depressive symptomatology, explaining 40% of the variance in depressive symptomatology. Postelection, a subsample of participants (N = 117) was used to test a model of differences from pre- to postelection. Neither TNG identity nor victimization predicted Postelection mental health, however, Referendum-related anxiety and depressive symptomatology were significantly lower following the ballot vote that retained gender-based rights. Clinical implications suggest sexual and gender minorities may report increased anxiety in the face of anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) legislation, which may be associated with heightened symptoms of depression. TNG people and LGBTQ people with histories of gender-based victimization may be more at risk for mental health concerns related to anti-TNG legislation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

The role of gender-based violence, health worries, and ambivalent sexism in the development of women's gynecological symptoms.

This article explored the role of a lifetime history of gender-based violence, ambivalent sexism, and gynecological health worries in the development of reproductive and sexual symptoms among women in Kyrgyzstan. Non-pregnant women who were patients of gynecological clinics (N = 143) participated in the study. A positive relationship between the experience of any type of violence (physical, sexual, and emotional) and number of gynecological symptoms was found. Hostile sexism was found to be a predictor of the number of reported symptoms. The number of gynecological health worries was found to fully mediate the relationship between history of gender-based violence and number of gynecological symptoms.

The challenges and promises of transnational LGBTQ psychology: Somewhere over and under the rainbow.

This article explores the influence of psychology developed in WEIRD (Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic) contexts and its relationship to transnational lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) concerns. It covers several points associated with an LGBTQ movement forward fallacy, including the limitations of identitarian methods of analysis; presumption of visibility as a necessary aspect of LGBTQ emancipation; the centering of oppression narratives in LGBTQ international scholarship; the assumption of the relevance and desirability of WEIRD concepts; and the difficulties in applying human rights discourses to achieve LGBTQ emancipation. A transnational LGBTQ psychology that honors the authentic lives of LGBTQ people and decolonizes and dismantles context-specific homophobia/transphobia-related stigma is discussed. Finally, the promising directions of transnational LGBTQ psychology through research directions, networking, and advocacy are described. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Emergence of a transnational LGBTI psychology: Commonalities and challenges in advocacy and activism.

This contribution explores the historical developments of transnational lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) psychology in Colombia, the Philippines, Russia, and South Africa in relationship to U.S. LGBT psychology. LGBTI psychology in these diverse contexts share commonalities but also have important variations in their development and focus within LGBTI concerns. The International Psychology Network for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Issues (IPsyNet) provides a model for international professional psychology collaboration and linkage on behalf of advocacy for LGBTI rights and sexual orientation and gender identity and/or expression concerns. Although there is the risk of transnational LGBTI psychology(ies) reproducing European-North American (Euro-N.A.) "homonationalism" and contributing to neo-colonization, these case examples illustrate the dynamic potential of transnational LGBTI psychology, including the possibilities of psychology to develop LGBTI psychologies drawing from indigenous as well as international structures and platforms, influencing Euro-N.A. models in the process. Finally, this article describes the promise and the limitations of transnational LGBTI psychology, including the role of human rights frameworks, as well as advocacy within professional psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

HIV Prevention in Gay Family and House Networks: Fostering Self-Determination and Sexual Safety.

Many gay, bisexual, and transgender (GBT) people of color (POC) join house and/or constructed family communities, which serve as support networks composed mostly of other non-biologically related GBT/POC. These networks can decrease or increase the risk of exposure to HIV via multiple mechanisms (e.g., providing informal sexual safety education versus stigmatizing family members with HIV, encouraging sexual safety practices versus unsafe escorting, teaching self-care versus substance use) but act to support family members in the face of social and economic hardship. Researchers interviewed ten members of these social networks in the Boston metro area of the US and produced a saturated grounded theory analysis to explore the role of gay family/house networks in HIV risk management. While network members utilized HIV prevention resources, interviewees described how their efficacy was related to the intentions of leadership and strength of kinship boundaries within their community, economic opportunities, and communication skills. Clinical and research implications are discussed.

Predictors of Sexual Minority Youth's Reported Suicide Attempts and Mental Health.

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth (LGBY) report higher rates of mental health concerns compared to heterosexual youth due to minority stressors. This study examined the interpersonal and intrapersonal variables that predict psychological distress and self-reported suicide attempts in a sample of 61 LGBY in the Mid-South, which is a highly overlooked regional area for LGBY research. Youth who lost friends when coming out were 29 times more likely to report suicide attempts, and those who experienced psychological maltreatment from caregivers were 9.5 times more likely to report a suicide attempt. Internalized heterosexism, feelings of guilt or shame, and psychological maltreatment from caregivers were significant predictors of depression and anxiety symptoms. This study highlights the importance of creating affirming spaces for LGBY, particularly in areas of the country that experience greater political oppression of sexual minorities, such as the Mid-South.

Sexual Orientation Identity in Relation to Minority Stress and Mental Health in Sexual Minority Women.

PURPOSE: Research often erases the distinct experiences of bisexual and queer women through collapsing participants with lesbian or gay women. In addition, queer is often not included as a sexual orientation identity in research, therefore limiting the available information about how this group experiences minority stress. Given these limitations, we sought to compare groups, based on their sexual orientation identity, on experiences of minority stress and mental health to further understand between group differences that often go unaccounted for in research. METHODS: Participants (N = 249; age range 19-77; M = 38.43, SD = 12.98) completed an online survey exploring experiences of minority stress and mental health. RESULTS: We found that the group most at risk for encountering minority stressors depended on the specific stressor being examined. Queer and gay or lesbian women encountered greater victimization, discrimination, and expectations of discrimination than bisexual women. However, bisexual women had higher levels of identity concealment and internalized heterosexism than gay, lesbian, or queer women. While queer women tended to have fewer proximal stressors, they were similar to bisexual women in terms of psychological distress, with both groups scoring higher than gay or lesbian women. CONCLUSIONS: These results highlight the need to examine between group differences in future research. The experiences of minority stress appear to complexly relate to psychological distress in varying ways for different groups of women, with bisexual and queer women having the highest rates of psychological distress although they vary in the types of stressors that they encounter. In addition, the experiences of queer women were divergent from those of gay, lesbian, or bisexual women across many of the stressors, indicating that there is a need to further recognize this distinct group of women in future research.

Depressive Symptomatology and College Persistence among African American College Students.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between depressive symptomatology and college outcomes among African American students, as well as to determine whether these relationships were moderated by gender and type of university. Participants included 569 African American first-year students attending two public universities in the Southeast United States: a historically Black college/university (HBCU) and a predominantly White institution (PWI). Using a longitudinal study design, data were collected at three time points. Results indicated that, after adjusting for the effects of the control variables (gender, type of institution, high school GPA, participation in on-campus activities, institutional and goal commitments), depressive symptomatology present in the first semester of college was associated with increased likelihood of dropping out of college before the end of the second year of college. The relationship between these two variables was mediated by first-year cumulative GPA. Results also indicated that the hypothesized relationships did not vary as a function of gender and the university type.

Posttraumatic stress predicting depression and social support among college students: Moderating effects of race and gender.

More than half of the students entering college report a history of potentially traumatic events; however, little is known about the relationship of trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology to college students' mental health and access to social support or whether these relationships may show variations as a function of race and gender. The purpose of this study was to explore whether the relationships between PTSD symptoms and both depression and social support were moderated by gender and race. Data were collected from 631 African American (AA) and 299 European American (EA) freshmen students attending 2 universities in the Southeast. The majority of the students (74.3% of the AA and 68.2% of the EA sample) reported lifetime exposure to at least 1 traumatic event. PTSD symptomatology was significantly and positively associated with depression symptoms for all groups (i.e., AA and EA males and females); however, the relationship between these 2 variables was strongest for EA men. Similarly, the relationship between PTSD symptoms on the avoidance cluster and social support was stronger for EA males than other groups; avoidance symptoms did not significantly predict social support for AA men.

Accepting death as part of life: meaning in life as a means for dealing with loss among bereaved individuals.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the 3 dimensions of death acceptance (i.e., neutral, approach, and escape) and grief symptomatology, as well as whether the relationship between neutral acceptance and grief symptoms was mediated by meaning in life. Data were collected from 160 bereaved individuals. Only neutral acceptance was significantly associated with grief symptomatology; the relationship between the 2 variables was mediated by meaning in life. Participants who perceived death as a natural part of life reported having a greater sense of meaning in their lives, which, in turn, predicted lower grief symptomatology.

African American Gay Family Networks: An Entry Point for HIV Prevention.

Gay families are constructed support networks that gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals of color form, often in response to societal marginalization and rejection from biological families. Research on these family structures has been scarce, with little focus on the experience of African American gay family networks in the South. The current grounded theory qualitative study focused on the experiences of 10 African American male and transgender individuals between the ages of 18 and 29 from gay families in the Mid-South, and explored the ways these families addressed safe-sex issues and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) risk prevention. Results revealed that families can play a role in either increasing HIV risk (e.g., ignoring HIV issues, encouraging such unsafe behaviors as exchanging sex for money or drugs, stigmatizing HIV-positive people) or decreasing it (e.g., intensive, family-level prevention efforts at safe-sex practices and family support for HIV treatment adherence). The potential of these family networks for HIV prevention and adherence efforts is considered.

Academic achievement and college persistence of African American students with trauma exposure.

This study examined the relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology and college persistence in African American 1st-year students from 2 universities. Of the 569 participants, 423 (74%) reported lifetime exposure to traumatic events; 20.6% of these students met the criteria for PTSD. For trauma-exposed females, after controlling for academic and nonacademic factors, higher levels of PTSD symptomatology in the 1st semester of college were associated with increased likelihood of leaving college prior to the end of the 2nd year of college; the relationship between the 2 variables was partially mediated by 1st-year grade point average (GPA). PTSD symptomatology was not significantly associated with academic achievement or persistence for males. For trauma-exposed females, in addition to PTSD symptomatology, being a student at a predominantly White institution and entering college with low high school GPA were identified as risk factors for low academic achievement and college dropout; on the other hand, involvement in on-campus activities and higher levels of perceived academic integration in the 1st semester were associated with higher 1st-year GPA, which, in turn, was related to increased likelihood of remaining in college. Clinical implications and strategies to support students with trauma exposure and PTSD are discussed.

Sexual minority women's gender identity and expression: challenges and supports.

Sexual minority women were divided into four groups to study their gender identities (butch and femme), and gender expression (traditionally gendered and non-traditionally gendered women who do not identify as butch or femme). Experiences of heterosexist events (discrimination, harassment, threats of violence, victimization, negative emotions associated with these events), mental health (self esteem, stress, depression), and supports for a sexual minority identity (social support, outness, internalized homophobia) were examined across these groups. Findings suggested that butch-identified women experienced more heterosexist events than femme women or women with non-traditional gender expressions. There were no differences in mental health variables.

Finding meaning in loss: the mediating role of social support between personality and two construals of meaning.

Dimensions of personality may shape an individual's response to loss both directly and indirectly through its effects on other variables such as an individual's ability to seek social support. The mediating effect of social support on the relationship between personality (i.e., extraversion and neuroticism) and 2 construals of meaning (i.e., sense-making and benefit-finding) among 325 bereaved individuals was explored using path analysis. Supporting our hypotheses, social support mediated the relationship between personality and construals of meaning. Neuroticism was negatively and indirectly associated with both sense-making and benefit-finding through social support. Extraversion had a significant positive relationship to social support, which, in turn, mediated the impact of extraversion on both sense-making and benefit finding. The model explained 35% of the variance in social support, 19% of the variance in sense-making, and 25% of the variance in benefit-finding. Implications are discussed in light of existing theories of bereavement and loss.

Out in the country: rural sexual minority mothers.

Rural and urban sexual minority mothers' parenting experiences related to sexual orientation were compared. Participants were 414 mothers in same-sex relationships with at least one child under the age of 18 years living in their home who was planned with their current partner. Rural mothers were more likely to be biological parents and not adoptive parents. Rural mothers reported higher rates of discrimination from strangers and people in service or helping professions. Although outness for rural and urban mothers did not differ, for children, classmates' parents and neighbors were less likely to know the family's status in rural areas. Rural and urban mothers did not differ on internalized homophobia, social support, or stigma consciousness. Clinical and policy implications are discussed.

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals' psychological reactions to amendments denying access to civil marriage.

Political campaigns to deny same-sex couples the right to civil marriage have been demonstrated to increase minority stress and psychological distress in lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals (S. S. Rostosky, E. D. B. Riggle, S. G. Horne, & A. D. Miller, 2009). To further explicate the psychological reactions of LGB individuals to marriage amendment campaigns, a content analysis was conducted of open-ended responses from 300 participants in a national online survey that was conducted immediately following the November 2006 election. LGB individuals indicated that they felt indignant about discrimination; distressed by the negative rhetoric surrounding the campaigns; fearful and anxious about protecting their relationships and families; blaming of institutionalized religion, ignorance, conservative politicians, and the ineffective political strategies used by LGBT organizers; hopeless and resigned; and, finally, hopeful, optimistic, and determined to keep fighting for justice and equal rights. These 7 themes are illustrated and discussed in light of their implications for conceptualizing and intervening to address discrimination and its negative psychological effects.

Psychological distress, well-being, and legal recognition in same-sex couple relationships.

Legal recognition of same-sex couple relationships provides at least some material benefits to couple members; however, few studies have examined the associations between legal recognition and psychological distress or well-being. Using an online survey sample of 2,677 lesbian, gay, bisexual (LGB) individuals, participants were placed in 4 groups: single, dating, in a committed relationship, and in a legally recognized relationship. Analyses revealed that participants in committed or legally recognized relationships reported less psychological distress (i.e., internalized homophobia, depressive symptoms, and stress) and more well-being (i.e., the presence of meaning in life) than single participants. Significant group differences and multivariate analyses indicated that participants in a legally recognized relationship reported less internalized homophobia, fewer depressive symptoms, lower levels of stress, and more meaning in their lives than those in committed relationships, even after controlling for other factors. The need for further research on the psychological benefits of legal relationship recognition for same-sex couples is discussed.