Minority Stress and Mental Health among Sexual Minorities (1 CE)

Number of Credits: 1

This course is for: Clinical Psychologists, Counselors, and Marriage & Family Therapists

Course By: Ken Springer, PhD

Content By: Meyer, I.H., Russell, S.T., Hammack, P. L., Frost, D. M., & Wilson, B. D. M. (2021). Minority stress, distress, and suicide attempts in three cohorts of sexual minority adults: A U.S. probability sample. PLoS ONE, 16(3).

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0246827

Course Description: Minority stress theory predicts that improvements in the social and legal environments of sexual minorities in recent decades would be reflected in better mental health outcomes among these individuals. The researchers tested this prediction by comparing three cohorts of sexual minorities they labeled pride (born 1956–1963), visibility (born 1974–1981), and equality (born 1990-1997). Based on self-report survey responses, the researchers found that each successive cohort experienced earlier sexual identity milestones than the cohort that preceded it, and that the equality cohort reported coming out much earlier than members of the two older cohorts. However, younger cohorts did not report less minority stress, psychological distress, or suicide attempts as compared to older cohorts. The findings suggest that although social changes have improved the cultural and legal standing of sexual minorities in recent decades, their mental health outcomes have not necessarily improved.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the theoretical framework and predictions that underly this study
2. Describe how data were collected from sexual minorities as well as the main findings of cross-cohort comparisons
3. Integrate the strengths and limitations of the study, and summarize the implications for the mental health of sexual minorities

Course Outline:

• Read and understand Minority stress, distress, and suicide attempts in three cohorts of sexual minority adults: A U.S. probability sample
• Review the Course Description and Learning Objectives
• Understand minority stress theory and what it predicts about the well-being of sexual minorities in the U.S. in recent decades
• Describe how survey data were obtained from three cohorts of sexual minorities
• Analyze differences between the cohorts in sexual identity milestones as well as similarities in their mental health outcomes
• Integrate the study's key findings, strengths, limitations, and clinical implications
• Work through the post-test questions, using the article as the sole basis for your answers
• Revisit the article for any missed questions and/or to better understand the experiences of three different cohorts of sexual minorities

Approvals: