Matching Items (5)
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- All Subjects: psychology
- Genre: Doctoral Dissertation
- Creators: Dillon, Frank
Description
Latinx sexual minority adults experience diverse types of discrimination, including heterosexism and ethnic/racial discrimination, which may contribute to worse physical health. Yet little research has examined how intersectional forms of discrimination, for example, discrimination within another marginalized community contribute to physical health. Greater experiences of discrimination can lead to greater psychological distress which may then exacerbate physical symptoms. It was hypothesized that the association between intersecting forms of discrimination and physical symptom severity would be mediated by psychological distress. Participants (N = 369) identified as Latinx/Hispanic/Latino and as a sexual or gender minority. Data were collected via a self-report web-based survey. Using structural equation modeling, this study tested two theory-informed structure equation models (SEM) proposing pathways between perceived general and within-group discrimination (i.e., Model 1 = racism and racism within LGBTQ+ community; Model 2 = heterosexism and heterosexism within ethnic/racial community), psychological distress (i.e., anxiety and depression), and physical symptom severity. Both structural models demonstrated good fit to the data. As hypothesized, heterosexist discrimination (β = .184, p = .007) and racist discrimination (β = .284, p = .001) significantly predicted higher physical symptom severity in their respective models. Depression symptoms significantly mediated the association between ethnic/racial discrimination and physical symptom severity (β = .189, p = .003). Similarly, greater frequency of heterosexism within one’s ethnic/racial community was indirectly related with worse physical symptoms severity via depression (β = .200, p = .002). No other indirect effects were significant. Findings from this study support that Latinx sexual minority adults may be at risk for discrimination from outside and within their own minority groups which has detrimental effects on health. Noteworthy, depressive symptoms appeared to mediate the effects of heterosexism in one’s ethnic/racial group on physical symptoms. These results highlight how overlapping forms of stigma have differential effects on health via psychological distress. These findings have important clinical and scientific implications in understanding how overlapping forms of discrimination affect health among Latinx sexual minority adults.
ContributorsRenteria, Roberto (Author) / Capielo Rosario, Cristalís (Thesis advisor) / Cerezo, Alison (Committee member) / Dillon, Frank (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
Research examining the psychosocial correlates of mental and behavioral health among Latinx populations during the COVID-19 pandemic is limited. This is problematic given that Latinx communities in the U.S. find themselves at the intersection of worse COVID-19-related mortality, mental health distress, and health outcomes. These COVID-19 related disparities came at a time when U.S. Latinxs were already experiencing a disproportionate burden of mental health and substance use disease. Health disparities research has largely focused on Latinxs as a monolithic group, yet in doing so, the intersectionality of race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status on health are overlooked. It is critical to understand the mental health needs of Latinxs in light of the current COVID-19 pandemic as well as the challenges and potential barriers to services experienced by these communities to better meet their unique needs. Therefore, Study 1 aimed to investigate differences on pandemic-related stressors along economic, emotional, and physical domains, psychological distress, and substance use, based on Latinx ethnicity. The second aim of Study 1 was to identify the most significant pandemic-related stressors and challenges faced by specific Latinx subgroups. Study 2 built off of the results from Study 1. Specifically, Study 2 investigated the association between pandemic-related economic, emotional, and physical stressors examined in Study 1 to various health and mental health outcomes including, psychological distress, alcohol use, and drug use, reported during the pandemic by different Latinx ethnic groups.
ContributorsFlorez, Jennifer Elizabeth (Author) / Capielo-Rosario, Cristalís (Thesis advisor) / Dillon, Frank (Committee member) / Truong, Nancy (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2024
Description
Among Latinxs living in the United States (U.S.), AfroLatinx individuals are more susceptible to dying from COVID-19 because of pre-existing health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension (Chapman, 2020). These health disparities, in turn, have been associated with economic inequalities AfroLatinx communities face in the U.S. due to discrimination and racism (Weinstein et al., 2017). Scholars have called attention to the need to focus on AfroLatinx populations, given the systematic denial of AfroLatinx experiences in the psychological literature (Sanchez, 2021) and the systemic and institutional barriers AfroLatinx face when seeking physical and mental health support (Borrell, 2005). Using Borrell's (2005) framework for studying the determinants of health disparities affecting AfroLatinxs, in Study 1, I examined the association between individual characteristics (e.g., socioeconomic indicators), psychosocial factors (e.g., economic distress), and contextual factors (e.g., discrimination) reported by AfroLatinx adults and emotional and physical health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic. As an expansion of Borrell's model, I also examined whether having a pre-existing condition can help explain mental health distress above and beyond other determinants of health disparity. Study 2 built on the first study by helping identify the specific areas of stress and needs identified by AfroLatinxs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The second aim of Study 2 was to determine the more frequent and effective strategies AfroLatinxs with pre-existing conditions used to cope with COVID-19-related stressors and needs.
ContributorsFaison, Alexis Duckett (Author) / Capielo Rosario, Cristalís (Thesis advisor) / Dillon, Frank (Committee member) / Vasquez, Elisa (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2024
Description
Over 25% of children in the United States suffer from a chronic illness, and close to 70% of all childhood deaths are due to chronic illness. Prevalence of childhood chronic illness continues to increase, and as a result, the pervasiveness of parents faced with stress associated with caregiving for their child with a chronic illness is also rising. The Stress Process Model (SPM) conceptualizes the caregiving experience as a multidimensional process influenced by the caregiving context, primary and secondary stressors, resources, and caregiver outcomes. Utilizing the SPM, the goals of this study were to examine the relations between caregiving stress (role overload and role strain) and resources (instrumental support, social support, and positive attitudes) and psychological outcomes (depression and anxiety) to determine whether resources moderated the associations between caregiving stress and psychological outcomes.
Participants included 200 parent caregivers of a child with a chronic illness. Participants responded to an online survey that measured demographics, role overload (Role Overload scale), role strain (The Revised Caregiver Burden Measure), instrumental support and social support (Medical Outcomes Survey), positive attitudes about caregiving (Brief Assessment Scale for Caregivers), depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), and anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale-7). Pearson correlations and six hierarchical regression models were tested to examine caregiving stress, resources, and psychological outcomes.
Consistent with the study hypotheses, positive correlations between caregiving stress (role overload and role strain) and depression and anxiety were found. Negative correlations were found between resources (instrumental support, social support, positive attitudes) and depression and anxiety. Both instrumental support and social support had negative moderating effects on the relations between role overload and psychological outcomes (depression and anxiety). Positive attitudes also negatively moderated the relations between role strain and psychological outcomes. Thus, when participants reported high instrumental and social support, they also reported low depression and anxiety, even when role overload was high. Participants also reported low anxiety and depression when they reported high positive attitudes, even when role strain was high. Implications of these findings are discussed.
Participants included 200 parent caregivers of a child with a chronic illness. Participants responded to an online survey that measured demographics, role overload (Role Overload scale), role strain (The Revised Caregiver Burden Measure), instrumental support and social support (Medical Outcomes Survey), positive attitudes about caregiving (Brief Assessment Scale for Caregivers), depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), and anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale-7). Pearson correlations and six hierarchical regression models were tested to examine caregiving stress, resources, and psychological outcomes.
Consistent with the study hypotheses, positive correlations between caregiving stress (role overload and role strain) and depression and anxiety were found. Negative correlations were found between resources (instrumental support, social support, positive attitudes) and depression and anxiety. Both instrumental support and social support had negative moderating effects on the relations between role overload and psychological outcomes (depression and anxiety). Positive attitudes also negatively moderated the relations between role strain and psychological outcomes. Thus, when participants reported high instrumental and social support, they also reported low depression and anxiety, even when role overload was high. Participants also reported low anxiety and depression when they reported high positive attitudes, even when role strain was high. Implications of these findings are discussed.
ContributorsJohnson, Courtney Kerber (Author) / Kurpius, Sharon (Thesis advisor) / Dillon, Frank (Committee member) / Tracey, Terence (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2020
Description
Women in the military work in a hypermasculine environment and may have experiences with gender microaggressions that contribute poorly to their mental health. In this quantitative study, the author assessed active duty U.S. military women’s (N = 683) reports of experiences with eight types of gender microaggressions (traditional gender roles, sexual objectification, second class citizen, sexist language, explicit threat to physical safety, implicit threat to physical safety, invalidation of sexism, and environmental; Capodilupo et al., 2010). Participants reported around a little or rarely having experiences with such microaggressions. Exploratory analyses demonstrated that Navy and junior enlisted women reported significantly higher frequencies of gender microaggressions compared to other groups. Using hierarchical regression analysis, controlling for general levels of stress, branch, rank, and sexual orientation, the author also examined whether the eight gender microaggressions explained scores on a measure of depression. Results suggested that only second class citizen explained a significant proportion of variance in depression. Therefore, the author examined whether coping style moderated the association between the gender microaggression subscales and depression as proposed. Results indicated problem focused engagement and emotion focused disengagement both moderated the link between second class citizen and depression. Findings from the current study have the potential to inform military programs, specifically around bringing awareness to subtle forms of sexism and ways to engage in coping. Limitation and directions for future research also are discussed.
ContributorsDimberg, Sierra Kelsey (Author) / Spanierman, Lisa B (Thesis advisor) / Clark, David A. (Committee member) / Dillon, Frank (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2020