A. Jordan Wright

Homonegative Microaggressions and Their Impact on LGB Individuals: A Measure Validity Study

Three studies were conducted to develop and assess the Homonegative Microaggressions Scale (HMS), a new measure applying Sue et al.s (2007) taxonomy of microaggressions among racial minorities to sexual minorities. Study 1 assessed content validity through consultation with experts on lesbian, gay, bisexual discrimination and measures of discrimination and a small pilot study. As a result, items were added or reworded (for clarity and reading level), finalizing a measure of 45 items. Study 2 provided evidence of reliability as well as discriminant and convergent validity by comparing the HMS to similar and dissimilar measures. Finally, Study 3 examined criterion-related validity by assessing the relationship between homonegative microaggressions and self-esteem, negative feelings about ones gay identity, and difficulty in the process of developing gay identity.

Homonegative Microaggressions and Identity in Bisexual Men and Women

Homonegative microaggressions are small verbal, behavioral, or environmental slights, intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile or derogatory messages toward sexual minorities. This is an exploratory attempt to investigate how bisexual men and women experience these microaggressions, compared to gay men and lesbians. Bisexual men and women were found to experience the microaggression Alien in Own Land and report more identity confusion than gay men or lesbians. Using a hierarchy of four linear regression models, experience of the microaggression Alien in Own Land was found to mediate the relationship between a bisexual orientation and feelings of identity confusion. These results have implications for future research and for clinicians with bisexual clients.

Dual Impact: Outness and LGB Identity Formation on Mental Health

Conflicting literature exists for the relationship among outness, sexual minority identity formation, and mental health among lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals. The present study examines the complex relationship among outness, identity, and mental health among 192 lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals collected from an online sample. The findings revealed that outness has a complex, dual impact on mental health. Specifically, outness was found to have both positive and negative consequences for mental health, with identity development accounting for the positive aspects of outness. Directions for future research and implications for clinicians are discussed.

The Role of Openness to Experience and Sexual Identity Formation in LGB Individuals: Implications for Mental Health

Openness to experience has been shown to have a positive impact on mental health in the general population, but there is a dearth of information both about why this is the case and on LGB populations in this area. The present article explores the relationship between openness to experience, LGB identity development, and mental health. The results revealed a full mediation model, where the positive impact of openness to experience on mental health is fully mediated by positive LGB identity development. Limitations and implications are discussed.

Client disclosure and therapist response in psychotherapy with women with a history of childhood sexual abuse

Abstract This study investigated the perceptions of adult clients (N=98; M age=32) with a history of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) of the costs and benefits of disclosure of this material. Significant benefits of disclosing included a sense of relief from sharing bottled-up emotions, and feeling more accepted and understood by ones therapist; significant negative consequences included feeling emotionally overwhelmed, and feeling uncomfortably vulnerable and exposed. Linear regressions indicated that CSA patients who generally disclose more have a greater tendency to experience both positive and negative effects of disclosure about abuse. In addition, a hierarchical regression analysis indicated that higher levels of symptomatology were predictive of higher levels of anxiety related to disclosure in therapy, suggesting that clinicians need to be cautious in encouraging disclosure about CSA with patients with severe pathology.

A psychometric evaluation of the homonegative microaggressions scale

ABSTRACT This study adds to the growing body of research on sexual minorities by offering insight into how more subtle forms of discrimination affect their victims via the use of a new measure called the Homonegative Microaggressions Scale (HMS). The objectives of this study were to explore the factor structure of the HMS, to verify this structure with a second sample, and to test its criterion-related validity by correlating with an identity measure, the Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Identity Scale (LGBIS). Two samples of participants, all of whom were 18 or older, completed the HMS in addition to other measures. The first sample consisted of 120 participants and was 44% female, with 55% identifying as gay men, 34% as lesbian, and 12% as bisexual, while the 302 participants making up the second sample was 45% female, with 41% identifying as bisexual, 39% as gay men, and 20% as lesbian. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted on data from the first sample of participants resulting in a four-factor model indicative of specific themes of microaggressions found within the HMS. A confirmatory factor analysis used on data from the second sample of participants verified these findings, revealing four distinct themes of homonegative microaggressions: Assumed Deviance, Second-Class Citizen, Assumptions of Gay Culture, and Stereotypical Knowledge and Behavior. The findings from this study indicated a solid factor structure and evidence for criterion-related validity for the HMS.

Preventing Substance Abuse and Addiction

Beyond the obvious social benefits of preventing substance abuse among teenagers, studies have shown that substance abuse costs America hundreds of billions of dollars per year (Harwood, 2000), and implementing effective prevention programs would save an estimated

Comprehensive Assessment of Substance Abuse and Addiction Risk in Adolescence

18 to the nation for every dollar spent on prevention programming (SAMHSA Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, 2008). Adolescence is the developmental period that can be clearly identified as the most “sensitive period” for the onset of experimentation with drugs and alcohol, as well as the risk for transition from use to problematic use to dependence (Jordan & Andersen, 2016). Studies have found that by 12th grade, and certainly by college, many adolescents report binge drinking and using marijuana (Degenhardt et al., 2008; Johnston, O’Malley, Bachman, & Schulenberg, 2010). The earlier this binge drinking, often considered alcohol abuse in the literature, and drunkenness occurs in life, the more likely these individuals are to develop significant functional (such as behavioral) problems and alcohol-related disorders, a finding that has been replicated in many different countries (Kuntsche et al., 2013; Lee & DiClemente, 1985; Parrella & Filstead, 1988). While there are many risk factors for developing substance-related problems, including genetic, personality, attachment, and environmental (e.g., Meyers & Dick, 2010; Ormel et al., 2012; Schindler & Broning, 2015), much research (both brain research and longitudinal research) has supported the fact that delaying the onset of experimenting with substances, including cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, and concurrent use of multiple substances, is the most effective strategy for preventing both problems and addiction later in life (Buchmann et al., 2013; Gillespie, Neale, & Kendler, 2009; Grant, Stinson, & Hartford, 2001; Hingson, Heeren, & Winter, 2006; Lisdahl, Gilbart, Wright, & Shollenbarger, 2013; Moss, Chen, & Yi, 2014). In fact, Bukstein and Kaminer (2015) found that when the use of substances was controlled at age 18, there was no significant link between major risk factors and either the rate/intensity of use in adulthood or the negative consequences of use in adulthood. Thus, targeting adolescent substance use (and abuse) can effectively curtail problematic consequences and addiction later in life.

Discrete Effects of Religiosity and Spirituality on Gay Identity and Self-Esteem

Assessing substance use, misuse, abuse, and problems in adolescence is a key way to help identify risk, intervene early, and potentially prevent addiction and other substance-related problems in adulthood. Adolescence is a particularly sensitive risk period for alcohol and other substance-related problems to begin and progress, with many individuals beginning problematic use during adolescence. Thus, evaluating risks for problematic use during adolescence and future dependence and other problems is key in prevention and early intervention. While necessarily imperfect, comprehensive evaluation can be useful in identifying those adolescents at greatest risk for developing problem patterns and future substance-related disorders.

It's not what you say, it's how many different ways you can say it: Links between divergent peer resistance skills and delinquency a year later

ABSTRACT Previous research has indicated that although spirituality may bolster development of a positive gay identity, religiosity may prove detrimental. Because the majority of this research confounds these constructs, there is little evidence as to the discrete roles religiosity and spirituality may play in LGB identity development. The present study endeavored to tease apart the unique effects of religion and spirituality on positive and negative gay identity and self-esteem. A sample of 376 self-identified sexual minority adults were given measures of religiosity, spirituality, LGB identity, and self-esteem. Models were built to evaluate the effects of religiosity (independent of spirituality) and spirituality (independent of religiosity), understanding that the constructs are greatly overlapped, on identity and self-esteem. Results included a positive association between spirituality and identity affirmation, identity superiority, and self-esteem. Religiosity was negatively associated with identity affirmation and self-esteem and positively associated with internalized homonegativity and heteronormativity. Limitations and implications are discussed.