Psychology
Permanent URI for this communityhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/2270
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Item LGBTQ Community Belonging and Involvement as Predictors of Sexual Minorities' Well-Being(2021) Burrows, Michael; Mohr, Jonathan J; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Sexual minorities (SM; i.e., lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, and asexual+) experience high rates of discrimination and stigma, which account for mental health disparities based on sexual orientation (Cochran, 2001; Meyer, 2003). A growing body of research suggests that LGBTQ community may be a source of resilience. This thesis examines two ways that SM can interact with and experience LGBTQ community: LGBTQ community belonging (a subjective sense of belonging or being a part of LGBTQ community; Frost & Meyer, 2012; Puckett et al., 2015) and community involvement (engagement in LGBTQ nightlife, social clubs, politics, and community sports; Foster-Gimbel et al., 2020).Across two time points over an approximately 6.5 week period, 171 SM completed surveys assessing LGBTQ community belonging and community involvement, psychological well-being (depression, anxiety, loneliness, positive affect, and satisfaction with life), perceived social support, and internalized stigma. Analyses focused on (a) relations between community variables (belonging and involvement) and well-being over time, and (b) the potential mediating roles of social support and internalized stigma in these relations. Most hypothesized relations between community variables and future well-being did not emerge. However, results supported associations between community involvement and future satisfaction with life, even after controlling for LGBTQ community belonging. Results also suggested that specific types of community involvement related in unique ways to facets of well-being in the future. Results did not support any of the hypothesized mediated relationships.Item Minority Stress, Pandemic Stress, and Mental Health among Gender Diverse Young Adults: Gender Dysphoria and Emotion Dysregulation as Mediators(Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 2022) Pease, M; Le, Thomas; Iwamoto, DerekGender diverse people in the United States are uniquely vulnerable to deleterious health outcomes because of long-enshrined systems of oppression and marginalization in American society. Trans young adults are especially vulnerable to these deleterious outcomes owing to their unique position in the life course. However, more research is needed on the mechanisms through which this marginalization contributes to mental health disparities in trans populations. Using a minority stress framework and online cross-sectional survey design, the current study examines potential mediators of the relationship between transgender identity-related distal stress and psychological distress from late May to early July 2020 in a sample of transgender young adults (N = 239; ages 18–29). More than half the sample scored above the K6 cutoff for severe psychological distress. Distal stress had a significant direct (β = .17, SE = .04, t = 2.76, p = .006) and indirect effect on psychological distress. Distal stress was indirectly associated with psychological distress through gender dysphoria (β = .04; 95% CI [.001, .10]) and emotion dysregulation (β = .16; 95% CI [.09, .23]). COVID-19 pandemic stressors were also positively associated with psychological distress (β = .36, SE = .12, t = 5.95, p < .001). Results highlight the significant mental health burden facing the trans community especially in the COVID-19 context, support a conceptualization of gender dysphoria as connected to experiences of oppression, and affirm the relevance of emotion dysregulation within minority stress frameworks. Mental health resources cognizant of the specific challenges experienced by trans young adults as well as policy changes that seek to address underlying structural transphobia in American culture and institutions are urgently needed.Item Stress, Mental Health, and Self-Care among Refugee Teachers in Malaysia(2020) Gosnell, Nicole; O'Neal, Colleen; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The mental health of post-conflict refugee teachers is understudied, yet critically important given the current refugee crisis which has displaced more than 70 million people (UNHCR, 2019). Teachers in hidden refugee schools are often refugees themselves, have little teacher education, and are faced with overwhelming classroom demands and other unique stressors. This study utilizes a mixed method design to examine stress, mental health (i.e., depression, and anxiety), and self-care among teachers in hidden refugee schools in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Quantitative data are archival, collected in Malaysia in 2013. Quantitative study participants included 97 primarily Burmese refugee teachers and 26 non-refugee teachers living in Malaysia. Quantitative measures included (a) Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales (DASS); (b) a self-care strategies questionnaire, and (c) a demographic questionnaire. Quantitative results suggest that refugee teachers have significantly higher rates of mental health and stress, but lower rates of self-care as compared to their non-refugee peer teachers. In addition, higher rates of self-care are associated with lower rates of mental health symptoms and stress rates; the association is moderated by age. Qualitative data were collected in June 2018 via individual interviews with eleven Burmese refugee teachers working in Malaysia. Qualitative results shed light on the unique definitions and experiences of stress, mental health, and self-care among refugee teachers in the context of macrolevel factors. Overall, this dissertation found that macrolevel factors unique to being a refugee impact refugees’ rates, experiences, and definitions of microlevel mental health symptoms, stress, and self-care.