The Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Relationship Between Intersectional Discrimination and PTSD Symptoms Among Sexual Minority Women

The present study examined the cross-sectional and longitudinal relationship between intersectional discrimination and PTSD symptoms among sexual minority women. Four‑hundred‑fifty‑three sexual minority women were recruited through Prolific to complete an online survey, and 189 completed a follow-up survey six-months later. Participants completed measures of potentially traumatic events (PTEs), intersectional discrimination, PTSD and depression symptoms, and physical health difficulties at both times. In the cross-sectional data, intersectional discrimination was significantly, positively associated with PTSD symptoms, that association was larger in magnitude than the associations between intersectional discrimination with depression symptoms and physical health difficulties, and that association was larger in magnitude than the association between PTEs and PTSD symptoms. In the longitudinal data, intersectional discrimination at Time 1, after controlling for PTEs at Time 1, was significantly, positively associated with PTSD symptoms at Time 2. Again, that association was larger in magnitude than the longitudinal relationship between PTEs and PTSD symptoms. These findings suggest that the field of clinical psychology has work to do in terms of potentially revising the relevant diagnostic criteria, creating a new diagnostic category (e.g. Complex PTSD), or identifying another appropriate solution that ensures we are better capturing those who would benefit from clinical services.