Symposia
Oppression and Resilience Minority Health
Anna Larson, PhD
Suffolk University
Boston, Massachusetts
Sarah Schwartz, Ph.D.
Second
Suffolk University
Boston, Massachusetts
Background: Experiences of discrimination and stigmatization contribute to high rates of mental health distress among gender and sexual minoritized (GSM) adults. GSM adults also report experiencing discrimination and stigmatization while seeking healthcare services and some avoid disclosing their GSM identity to providers. Stigma consciousness, the concern that one will inevitably be stigmatized based on GSM identity, may play a large role in how GSM adults perceive mental healthcare providers and in how they communicate with providers.
Methods: GSM adults who received mental healthcare (n=113) completed self-report measures on stigma consciousness and attitudes toward mental healthcare providers. Linear regression analyses were used to determine if stigma consciousness predicted attitudes toward mental healthcare providers (preference for working with GSM mental healthcare providers, openness about GSM identity with mental healthcare providers, and perceived competence of mental healthcare providers regarding GSM issues) over and above demographic factors (age, gender, socioeconomic status, education, race) and experiences of discrimination.
Results: Regression analyses revealed that stigma consciousness (β = .49, p = .001) was the only variable associated with a preference for seeing GSM mental healthcare providers (F(7,102) = 6.46, p < .001, R2 = .31), while age (β = .05, p = .006), and stigma consciousness (β = .26, p = .023) were associated with openness about GSM identity with mental healthcare providers (F(7,101) = 3.48, p = .002, R2 = .19). Regression analyses also revealed that socioeconomic status (β = .86, p = .001) and stigma consciousness (β = -.28, p = .001) were associated with perceived competence of mental healthcare providers (F(7,101) = 3.88, p = .001, R2 = .21).
Conclusion: Among GSM adults who receive mental health treatment, stigma consciousness is associated with differing attitudes toward mental healthcare providers. Implications for research and clinical practice will be discussed.