Prospective Associations Between Bi+ Minority Stressors and Internalizing Symptoms: The Mediating Roles of General and Group-Specific Processes

Christina Dyar; Brian A. Feinstein; Elissa L. Sarno; Sophia Pirog; Michael E. Newcomb; Sarah W. Whitton

doi:10.1037/ccp0000689

Prospective Associations Between Bi+ Minority Stressors and Internalizing Symptoms: The Mediating Roles of General and Group-Specific Processes

Christina Dyar^*, Brian A. Feinstein, Elissa L. Sarno, Sophia Pirog, Michael E. Newcomb, Sarah W. Whitton

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

25 Scopus citations

Abstract

Objective: The prevalence of anxiety and depressive (i.e., internalizing) disorders is higher among bi+ individuals (i.e., individuals with attractions to more than one gender and/or who identify as bisexual or pansexual) compared to both heterosexual and lesbian/gay individuals. Cross-sectional research has demonstrated that stressors unique to bi+ individuals are associated with internalizing symptoms. However, longitudinal research examining these associations and underlying mechanisms is extremely limited. Method: We utilized ﬁve waves of data (6 months between waves) from a diverse sample of bi+ individuals assigned female at birth (age 16–32; 29% gender minority; 72.9% racial/ethnic minority) to examine: (a) prospective associations between three bi+ stressors (enacted, internalized, anticipated bi+ stigma) and internalizing symptoms; (b) potential mediating role of rumination in these associations; and (c) potential mediating roles of internalized and anticipated bi+ stigma in associations between enacted bi+ stigma and internalizing symptoms. Results: At the within-person level, when participants experienced more bi+ stressors than usual during a particular wave, they experienced subsequent increases in internalizing symptoms. Increases in rumination mediated these associations. Associations between enacted bi+ stigma and internalizing symptoms were mediated by increases in internalized and anticipated bi+ stigma. Conclusions: Findings indicate that bi+ stressors prospectively predict increases in internalizing symptoms and rumination may play a mechanistic role. Further, ﬁndings suggest that internalized and anticipated bi+ stigma may play mechanistic roles in the associations between enacted bi+ stigma and internalizing symptoms. Interventions targeting rumination, internalized stigma, and anticipated bi+ stigma may help to reduce internalizing symptoms among bi+ individuals.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	845-855
Number of pages	11
Journal	Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology
Volume	89
Issue number	10
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1037/ccp0000689
State	Published - 2021

Funding

This work was supported by grants from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R01HD086170, PI: Sarah W. Whitton), the National Institute on Drug Abuse (K01DA046716, PI: Christina Dyar; K08DA045575, PI: Brian A. Feinstein), and the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (F32AA028194, PI: Elissa L. Sarno). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the funding agencies

Keywords

bisexual
internalizing symptoms
longitudinal
mediation
minority stress

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Clinical Psychology
Psychiatry and Mental health

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10.1037/ccp0000689

Cite this

@article{4ed0f14ba4df44288c5ea01c771fa726,

title = "Prospective Associations Between Bi+ Minority Stressors and Internalizing Symptoms: The Mediating Roles of General and Group-Specific Processes",

abstract = "Objective: The prevalence of anxiety and depressive (i.e., internalizing) disorders is higher among bi+ individuals (i.e., individuals with attractions to more than one gender and/or who identify as bisexual or pansexual) compared to both heterosexual and lesbian/gay individuals. Cross-sectional research has demonstrated that stressors unique to bi+ individuals are associated with internalizing symptoms. However, longitudinal research examining these associations and underlying mechanisms is extremely limited. Method: We utilized ﬁve waves of data (6 months between waves) from a diverse sample of bi+ individuals assigned female at birth (age 16–32; 29% gender minority; 72.9% racial/ethnic minority) to examine: (a) prospective associations between three bi+ stressors (enacted, internalized, anticipated bi+ stigma) and internalizing symptoms; (b) potential mediating role of rumination in these associations; and (c) potential mediating roles of internalized and anticipated bi+ stigma in associations between enacted bi+ stigma and internalizing symptoms. Results: At the within-person level, when participants experienced more bi+ stressors than usual during a particular wave, they experienced subsequent increases in internalizing symptoms. Increases in rumination mediated these associations. Associations between enacted bi+ stigma and internalizing symptoms were mediated by increases in internalized and anticipated bi+ stigma. Conclusions: Findings indicate that bi+ stressors prospectively predict increases in internalizing symptoms and rumination may play a mechanistic role. Further, ﬁndings suggest that internalized and anticipated bi+ stigma may play mechanistic roles in the associations between enacted bi+ stigma and internalizing symptoms. Interventions targeting rumination, internalized stigma, and anticipated bi+ stigma may help to reduce internalizing symptoms among bi+ individuals.",

keywords = "bisexual, internalizing symptoms, longitudinal, mediation, minority stress",

author = "Christina Dyar and Feinstein, {Brian A.} and Sarno, {Elissa L.} and Sophia Pirog and Newcomb, {Michael E.} and Whitton, {Sarah W.}",

note = "Funding Information: This work was supported by grants from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R01HD086170, PI: Sarah W. Whitton), the National Institute on Drug Abuse (K01DA046716, PI: Christina Dyar; K08DA045575, PI: Brian A. Feinstein), and the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (F32AA028194, PI: Elissa L. Sarno). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the funding agencies Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 American Psychological Association",

year = "2021",

doi = "10.1037/ccp0000689",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "89",

pages = "845--855",

journal = "Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology",

issn = "0022-006X",

publisher = "American Psychological Association",

number = "10",

}

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T1 - Prospective Associations Between Bi+ Minority Stressors and Internalizing Symptoms

T2 - The Mediating Roles of General and Group-Specific Processes

AU - Dyar, Christina

AU - Feinstein, Brian A.

AU - Sarno, Elissa L.

AU - Pirog, Sophia

AU - Newcomb, Michael E.

AU - Whitton, Sarah W.

N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by grants from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R01HD086170, PI: Sarah W. Whitton), the National Institute on Drug Abuse (K01DA046716, PI: Christina Dyar; K08DA045575, PI: Brian A. Feinstein), and the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (F32AA028194, PI: Elissa L. Sarno). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the funding agencies Publisher Copyright: © 2021 American Psychological Association

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - Objective: The prevalence of anxiety and depressive (i.e., internalizing) disorders is higher among bi+ individuals (i.e., individuals with attractions to more than one gender and/or who identify as bisexual or pansexual) compared to both heterosexual and lesbian/gay individuals. Cross-sectional research has demonstrated that stressors unique to bi+ individuals are associated with internalizing symptoms. However, longitudinal research examining these associations and underlying mechanisms is extremely limited. Method: We utilized ﬁve waves of data (6 months between waves) from a diverse sample of bi+ individuals assigned female at birth (age 16–32; 29% gender minority; 72.9% racial/ethnic minority) to examine: (a) prospective associations between three bi+ stressors (enacted, internalized, anticipated bi+ stigma) and internalizing symptoms; (b) potential mediating role of rumination in these associations; and (c) potential mediating roles of internalized and anticipated bi+ stigma in associations between enacted bi+ stigma and internalizing symptoms. Results: At the within-person level, when participants experienced more bi+ stressors than usual during a particular wave, they experienced subsequent increases in internalizing symptoms. Increases in rumination mediated these associations. Associations between enacted bi+ stigma and internalizing symptoms were mediated by increases in internalized and anticipated bi+ stigma. Conclusions: Findings indicate that bi+ stressors prospectively predict increases in internalizing symptoms and rumination may play a mechanistic role. Further, ﬁndings suggest that internalized and anticipated bi+ stigma may play mechanistic roles in the associations between enacted bi+ stigma and internalizing symptoms. Interventions targeting rumination, internalized stigma, and anticipated bi+ stigma may help to reduce internalizing symptoms among bi+ individuals.

AB - Objective: The prevalence of anxiety and depressive (i.e., internalizing) disorders is higher among bi+ individuals (i.e., individuals with attractions to more than one gender and/or who identify as bisexual or pansexual) compared to both heterosexual and lesbian/gay individuals. Cross-sectional research has demonstrated that stressors unique to bi+ individuals are associated with internalizing symptoms. However, longitudinal research examining these associations and underlying mechanisms is extremely limited. Method: We utilized ﬁve waves of data (6 months between waves) from a diverse sample of bi+ individuals assigned female at birth (age 16–32; 29% gender minority; 72.9% racial/ethnic minority) to examine: (a) prospective associations between three bi+ stressors (enacted, internalized, anticipated bi+ stigma) and internalizing symptoms; (b) potential mediating role of rumination in these associations; and (c) potential mediating roles of internalized and anticipated bi+ stigma in associations between enacted bi+ stigma and internalizing symptoms. Results: At the within-person level, when participants experienced more bi+ stressors than usual during a particular wave, they experienced subsequent increases in internalizing symptoms. Increases in rumination mediated these associations. Associations between enacted bi+ stigma and internalizing symptoms were mediated by increases in internalized and anticipated bi+ stigma. Conclusions: Findings indicate that bi+ stressors prospectively predict increases in internalizing symptoms and rumination may play a mechanistic role. Further, ﬁndings suggest that internalized and anticipated bi+ stigma may play mechanistic roles in the associations between enacted bi+ stigma and internalizing symptoms. Interventions targeting rumination, internalized stigma, and anticipated bi+ stigma may help to reduce internalizing symptoms among bi+ individuals.

KW - bisexual

KW - internalizing symptoms

KW - longitudinal

KW - mediation

KW - minority stress

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Prospective Associations Between Bi+ Minority Stressors and Internalizing Symptoms: The Mediating Roles of General and Group-Specific Processes

Abstract

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ASJC Scopus subject areas

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