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Improving Health Outcomes for Sexual and Gender Minority Populations

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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Global Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (24 March 2023) | Viewed by 9538

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Annalisa Anzani

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Guest Editor

Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy
Interests: transgender health; trans sexual health; LGBTQ+ psychology

Dr. Fau Rosati

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Guest Editor

Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
Interests: transgender and non-binary health; minority stress; LGBTQ+ aging; intersectionality

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The scientific literature from the last two decades has acknowledged the impact of minority stress on the psychological and mental health of those who identify with stigmatized gender and sexual identities. Although social attitudes and policies have improved in recent years, the most recent research indicates that the minority stress continues to have negative impact on the wellbeing of LGBTQ+ people (Frost, Fingerhut & Meyer, 2022). Studies across the generations demonstrate how even younger individuals are still adversely affected by microaggressions and structural and interpersonal inequality. Moreover, a growing number of people perceive and/or express their gender in a way that disrupts cis/heteronormativity (e.g., non-binary and queer individuals), thus experiencing a higher risk of harassment, victimization, and internalization of negative feelings toward the self. In order to determine what safeguards against minority stress's harmful consequences exist, as well as what professional interventions may be made at the social, organizational, and institutional levels, psychologists must deepen their knowledge in this area. It is crucial to understand more about proximal stressors, such as internalized trans/homo-negativity and the specific way in which each sexual and gender minority subgroup is affected by stigma. Ultimately, we are called in to investigate ways to enhance the health outcomes of the LGBTQ+ community, both in the setting of mental health practitioners' consultation rooms and in society at large.

This Special Issue aims to collect research (considering different methodological approaches) addressing the factors involved in LGBTQ+ mental health, including minority stress, social attitudes, protective factors, and resilience.

Dr. Annalisa Anzani
Dr. Fau Rosati
Guest Editors

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Keywords

minority stress
LGBTQ+ health
internalized homonegativity
internalized trans-negativity
LGBTQ+ well-being

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 362 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Stress and Resilience Experiences during the Transition to Parenthood among Belgian Lesbian Mothers through Donor Insemination

by Salvatore D’Amore, Alexandre Maurisse, Alessio Gubello and Nicola Carone

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(4), 2800; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20042800 - 4 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1867

Abstract

The present research explored parenting, stress, and resilience experiences among 16 Belgian, lesbian, first-time parental couples with donor-conceived children aged 3–72 months. In each couple, both mothers participated in a conjoint, semi-structured interview focused on their parenthood desire; the impact of stigmatization and social support from families of origin, friends, and institutions; and couple and family resources. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s reflective thematic analysis. Four themes were identified: (1) “The precious baby”: Realizing the parenthood project; (2) “Can we show ourselves in public without prying eyes?”: Family social visibility; (3) “It’s complicated!”: Parental legal recognition and role imbalance; and (4) “How can we handle this?”: Family resilience. The themes indicated that the child’s donor conception, the parents’ coming out, the non-gestational mother’s role, the legal obstacles encountered, and the need to find a balance between the two mothers in childcare tasks generated stress and required mothers to develop resilience strategies. The results suggest several potential areas for mental health practitioners to explore in clinical contexts when supporting intended lesbian mothers in their transition to parenthood through donor insemination. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Improving Health Outcomes for Sexual and Gender Minority Populations)

12 pages, 513 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Internalized Homonegativity, Emotion Dysregulation, and Isolating Behaviors Perpetration among Gay and Lesbian Couples

by Tommaso Trombetta, Virginia Balocco, Fabrizio Santoniccolo, Maria Noemi Paradiso and Luca Rollè

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(2), 1593; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20021593 - 16 Jan 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1958

Abstract

Same-sex intimate partner violence (SSIPV) is a serious health concern and may manifest in various forms. Nevertheless, controlling behaviors of isolation are still poorly investigated. Due to their marginalized status, sexual minorities can face SSIPV-specific risk factors, such as internalized homonegativity, as well as general psychological stress factors, such as emotion dysregulation. While the literature is growing, there is still a lack of understanding of the complex pathways linking sexual minorities and minority stress to IPV and isolating controlling behavior. To fill this gap, we explored the relation between internalized homonegativity and controlling behaviors of isolation, assessing the mediating role of emotion dysregulation. In total, 120 gay and lesbian people (mean age = 33.8, SD = 11.5) involved in a same-sex relationship participated in the study. Results showed a direct and positive association between internalized homonegativity and difficulties in emotion regulation and a direct and positive association between emotion dysregulation and controlling behaviors of isolation; the mediating role of emotion dysregulation in the relation between internalized homonegativity and isolating controlling behaviors was supported as well. Emerging results can provide valuable information at the clinical level, although further studies are needed to confirm these preliminary findings. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Improving Health Outcomes for Sexual and Gender Minority Populations)

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14 pages, 1264 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Masculinity and Leadership Effectiveness (Self-)Perceptions: The Case of Lesbian Leaders

by Soraya Elizabeth Shamloo, Valeria De Cristofaro, Valerio Pellegrini and Marco Salvati

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(24), 17026; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192417026 - 18 Dec 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2166

Abstract

In line with the gay glass ceiling effect, sexual minorities are often target of discrimination within work-related contexts, thus potentially undermining their wellbeing at work. For gay men, discrimination may partially be attributed to gay men’s stereotypical feminine perception, which does not fit with the stereotypically masculine traits required for leadership positions. Yet, when considering lesbian women, the masculine stereotypical view associated with them may come to represent an advantage in work-related contexts, especially when compared to heterosexual women. In Study 1, N = 303 heterosexual participants rated a lesbian vs. a heterosexual woman as a job candidate on stereotypical gender (masculine vs. feminine) traits as well as leadership effectiveness. Results showed that being lesbian was associated with higher levels of masculinity (but not femininity), which in turn was related to high leadership effectiveness. In Study 2, N = 268 lesbian and heterosexual women rated themselves on the same measures. Results showed that both groups associated masculine traits with enhanced leadership effectiveness. These studies provide a better comprehension regarding how lesbian women may be perceived in work-related contexts and shed light on the role played by gender stereotypical perceptions in shaping both heterosexual and lesbian perceptions of leadership effectiveness. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Improving Health Outcomes for Sexual and Gender Minority Populations)

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15 pages, 396 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sexual Orientation and Infidelity-Related Behaviors on Social Media Sites

by Ionela Șerban, Marco Salvati and Violeta Enea

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(23), 15659; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192315659 - 25 Nov 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2867

Abstract

Little research has been focused on offline or online infidelity in GL dating relationships, especially in a post-communist socio-cultural context. Infidelity–related (IR) behaviors on social media sites might be as hurtful to relationships as offline infidelity, both in gay, lesbian (GL) and heterosexual romantic monogamous relationships. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to examine the associations between dyadic satisfaction, attitudes toward infidelity, and problematic internet usage, with IR behaviors on social media sites among GL and heterosexual unmarried individuals in Romanian sexual minority communities. Results showed that GL respondents did not significantly differ from heterosexual participants regarding IR behaviors. Furthermore, we found the main effect of attitudes toward infidelity and problematic internet use on IR behaviors. Sexual orientation highlights the main effect of IR behaviors when analyzed with dyadic satisfaction. The current study may be a precursor to further research investigating correlations in online IR behavior among lesbian and gay individuals engaging in consensual nonmonogamy. Implications of the findings are discussed in the social context of a post-communist country where GL individuals may face discrimination and stigma because of their sexual orientation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Improving Health Outcomes for Sexual and Gender Minority Populations)

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