Work

Associations Among Enacted Stigma, Perceived Chances for Success, Life Satisfaction, and Substance Use Among Sexual Minority and Heterosexual Youth

Year: 2023

Type: article

Abstract: Background: Sexual minority youth report high rates of substance use compared to heterosexual youth. Stigma can diminish perceptions of future success and life satisfaction and contribute to elevated substance use. This study examined whether experiences of enacted stigma (i.e., discrimination) and substance use among sexual minority and heterosexual youth were indirectly associated through perceived chances for success and life satisfaction. Method: In a sample of 487 adolescents who indicated their sexual identity (58% female, M age = 16.0, 20% sexual minority), we assessed substance use status and factors that might explain sexual minority disparities in substance use. Using structural equation modeling, we examined indirect associations between sexual minority status and substance use status through these factors. Results: Compared to heterosexual youth, sexual minority youth reported greater stigma, which was associated with both lower perceived chances for success and life satisfaction, which were in turn associated with greater likelihood of substance use. Conclusions: Findings highlight the importance of attending to stigma, perceived chances for success, and general life satisfaction to understand and intervene to prevent substance use among sexual minority youth.

Source: Substance Use & Misuse

DOI: 10.1080/10826084.2023.2212282

Authors: Tim Janssen, Kristi E. Gamarel, Ethan H. Mereish, Suzanne M. Colby, Michelle Haikalis, Kristina M. Jackson

Institutions: Brown University, University of Michigan, University of Maryland, College Park

Language: English

Topic: LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy

Subfield: Social Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development