Associations Between Identity-Specific Multilevel Minority Stressors and Psychopathology in Sexually and Racially Diverse Young Adults

Minoritized groups often, but not always, exhibit greater psychopathology than their majority counterparts. However, the mechanisms underlying this increased risk are poorly understood. Meyer’s Minority Stress Theory (2003) provides a framework to understand these associations, though the theory has sparsely been applied to severe psychopathology and multiple minorities. Thus, we surveyed 2187 sexually and racially diverse young adults on multilevel minority stressors, including internalized hate, rejection sensitivity, and perceived discrimination, as well as on symptoms of psychotic-like experiences (PLE), depression, and mania. Additionally, we addended county-level data to assess the impact of sociocultural environments. Moreover, stressors were measured separately for sexual and racial identities. Generalized linear models, controlling for demographics, showed that minorities generally endorsed greater levels of psychopathology compared to majority groups. However, some variability arose: sexual minorities reported greater levels of depression and PLE, while racial minorities reported greater levels of mania. Moreover, multiple minority status did not confer additive risk. Further, structural equation models indicated that impacts of stressors on psychopathology varied depending on the targeted identity, type of symptoms, and identity of the respondent. Additionally, stressors were interconnected, with stressors often partially mediating the impacts of more distal stressors on psychopathology. Altogether this study builds on the Minority Stress Theory by examining multilevel risk factors relevant to multiple identities and across multiple psychopathologies. Further, it elucidates the differential mechanisms by which minority stressors may impact psychopathology in diverse young adults, with direct implications for public mental health policy and practice centering under-researched and underserved minority groups.