Mentor/s
Dr. Michael T. Vale
Participation Type
Poster
Abstract
Sexual minorities (e.g., LGB people) experience stressors specific to their minority status. Minority stressors are either proximal (intrapersonal) or distal (interpersonal), and both negatively predict mental and physical health. Self-compassion is the ability to hold one’s experiences of suffering with warmth and understanding, integrating aspects of self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness. A recent metanalysis (Helminen et al., 2022) found that self-compassion relates to minority stress and potentially helps buffer the links between stress and health. However, past work examined single aspects of minority stress and there is uncertainty in determining which types of stressors self-compassion may relieve. This study examined the relations between self-compassion and seven minority stressors, outness concealment, outness disclosure, internalized homonegativity, anticipated stigma, microaggressions, general discrimination, and family discrimination. We additionally examined the mediating (i.e., buffering) role of self-compassion between each stressor with depressive and anxiety symptoms, and self-rated physical health. Self-compassion was significantly correlated with each stressor, except general discrimination. Further, self-compassion fully mediated the links between internalized homonegativity and outness concealment, and each outcome. There was at least partial mediation for the links between the other stressors. Our findings indicate that self-compassion appears to be a stronger buffer for proximal, compared to distal, minority stressors.
College and Major available
Psychology BS, College of Arts and Sciences
Location
Digital Commons & West Campus 2nd Floor University Commons
Start Day/Time
4-28-2023 12:00 PM
End Day/Time
4-28-2023 2:00 PM
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License.
Prize Categories
Most Scholarly Impact or Potential, Best Visuals, Most Creative
Be Kind to Yourself: Examining How Self-Compassion Mediates the Relationship between Minority Stress and Health
Digital Commons & West Campus 2nd Floor University Commons
Sexual minorities (e.g., LGB people) experience stressors specific to their minority status. Minority stressors are either proximal (intrapersonal) or distal (interpersonal), and both negatively predict mental and physical health. Self-compassion is the ability to hold one’s experiences of suffering with warmth and understanding, integrating aspects of self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness. A recent metanalysis (Helminen et al., 2022) found that self-compassion relates to minority stress and potentially helps buffer the links between stress and health. However, past work examined single aspects of minority stress and there is uncertainty in determining which types of stressors self-compassion may relieve. This study examined the relations between self-compassion and seven minority stressors, outness concealment, outness disclosure, internalized homonegativity, anticipated stigma, microaggressions, general discrimination, and family discrimination. We additionally examined the mediating (i.e., buffering) role of self-compassion between each stressor with depressive and anxiety symptoms, and self-rated physical health. Self-compassion was significantly correlated with each stressor, except general discrimination. Further, self-compassion fully mediated the links between internalized homonegativity and outness concealment, and each outcome. There was at least partial mediation for the links between the other stressors. Our findings indicate that self-compassion appears to be a stronger buffer for proximal, compared to distal, minority stressors.
Students' Information
Samantha Cavalea, Psychology, 2024