(Kaufman et al.) Microaggressions and depressive symptoms in sexual minority youth: The
roles of rumination and social support.
Sexual orientation microaggressions: more implicit and subtle everyday discriminations
directed at people’s sexual orientation.
This study investigates whether microaggression experiences are related to depressive
symptoms, through ruminative emotion regulation, and are buffered by sexuality-specific
support.
The minority stress framework posits that members of sexual minority groups are chronically
exposed to stigma-related stressors related to one’s sexual minority group.
Microaggressions: “brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioral, and environmental
indignities, whether intentional and unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or
negative LGBT slights and assaults to the target group or person”
Microagressions may be stressful because their subtle character makes them socially
legitimized, microaggressions may lack the intensity of blatant prejudice (e.g., physical
aggression), but have a repetitive, day-to-day nature .
Brooding: a type of ruminative emotion regulation., which is characterized by a focus on
stress symptoms and its possible causes and consequences, as opposed to possible solutions to
the problem
Social support can facilitate youth’s adjustment and can ameliorate the impact of stigma-
related stressors on mental health problems.
Results
For male youth microaggression experiences was significantly related to higher levels of
rumination and depressive symptoms. Higher levels of rumination were, as expected,
associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms. Finally, none of the acceptance or
LGBT community connectedness variables were associated with depressive symptoms among
male youth. However, lower levels of father acceptance were associated with higher levels of
rumination and microaggression experiences.
For female youth, microaggression experiences was significantly related to higher levels of
rumination and depressive symptoms. Female youth with higher levels of rumination also
reported higher levels of depressive symptoms. Concerning acceptance and LGBT community
connectedness, peer acceptance was related to depressive symptoms. Thus, higher levels of
peer acceptance were related to lower levels of depressive symptoms. Furthermore, higher
levels of father, mother, and peer acceptance were related to lower levels of microaggression
experiences. Age was related to lower levels of depressive symptoms. In other words, older
females had lower levels of depressive symptoms.
roles of rumination and social support.
Sexual orientation microaggressions: more implicit and subtle everyday discriminations
directed at people’s sexual orientation.
This study investigates whether microaggression experiences are related to depressive
symptoms, through ruminative emotion regulation, and are buffered by sexuality-specific
support.
The minority stress framework posits that members of sexual minority groups are chronically
exposed to stigma-related stressors related to one’s sexual minority group.
Microaggressions: “brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioral, and environmental
indignities, whether intentional and unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or
negative LGBT slights and assaults to the target group or person”
Microagressions may be stressful because their subtle character makes them socially
legitimized, microaggressions may lack the intensity of blatant prejudice (e.g., physical
aggression), but have a repetitive, day-to-day nature .
Brooding: a type of ruminative emotion regulation., which is characterized by a focus on
stress symptoms and its possible causes and consequences, as opposed to possible solutions to
the problem
Social support can facilitate youth’s adjustment and can ameliorate the impact of stigma-
related stressors on mental health problems.
Results
For male youth microaggression experiences was significantly related to higher levels of
rumination and depressive symptoms. Higher levels of rumination were, as expected,
associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms. Finally, none of the acceptance or
LGBT community connectedness variables were associated with depressive symptoms among
male youth. However, lower levels of father acceptance were associated with higher levels of
rumination and microaggression experiences.
For female youth, microaggression experiences was significantly related to higher levels of
rumination and depressive symptoms. Female youth with higher levels of rumination also
reported higher levels of depressive symptoms. Concerning acceptance and LGBT community
connectedness, peer acceptance was related to depressive symptoms. Thus, higher levels of
peer acceptance were related to lower levels of depressive symptoms. Furthermore, higher
levels of father, mother, and peer acceptance were related to lower levels of microaggression
experiences. Age was related to lower levels of depressive symptoms. In other words, older
females had lower levels of depressive symptoms.
