Valerian J. Derlega

An empirical analysis of stressors for gay men and lesbians.

Abstract This research describes the empirical classification of stressors for gay men and lesbians. Volunteer respondents were recruited through a free local gay and lesbian newspaper, through gay and lesbian student organizations nationwide, through gay and lesbian bookstores nationwide, and at a gay festival in St. Louis. Nine hundred seventy-nine (979) participants completed a 70-item measure with stressors that had been identified in previous qualitative research. Participants were asked to indicate the degree to which they had experienced stress associated with a variety of experiences. Participants also completed a measure of dysphoria (CES-D), responded about their degree of openness regarding sexual orientation, and provided information about their relationship status and involvement with gay groups and activities. Using confirmatory factor analysis, a six-factor model was predicted to account for the data. One-factor, six-factor, and ten-factor models were tested. The ten-factor model yielded the best fit with the data and accounted for 63.5% of the variance. The factor structure remained stable when gay men were compared to lesbians, when those endorsing a predominantly gay versus exclusively gay orientation were compared, and when those in a relationship were compared to those who were not in a relationship. Increased gay stress was associated with more dysphoria. Implications of these findings are discussed and directions for future research are considered.

Perceived HIV-related Stigma and HIV Disclosure to Relationship Partners after Finding Out about the Seropositive Diagnosis

The present study examined how perceived HIV-related stigma (how much HIV-infected persons believe that the public stigmatizes someone with HIV) influences both reasons for and against HIV disclosure and self-reports of HIV disclosure to a friend, intimate partner and a parent. The research participants were 145 men and women living with HIV. They were asked to recall when they first learned about their HIV diagnosis. Then they indicated how much specific reasons might have influenced disclosing or not disclosing about the HIV diagnosis to a friend, intimate partner and a parent. Findings, based on the total sample, indicated that perceived HIV-related stigma was associated with the endorsement of various reasons against disclosing to a friend and a parent, including concerns about self-blame, fear of rejection, communication difficulties and a desire to protect the other person. Perceived HIV-related stigma was not associated with the endorsement of any reasons for disclosing to a friend, intimate partner or a parent, including catharsis, test other’s reactions, duty to inform/educate, similarity and a close/supportive relationship with the other. In addition, perceived HIV-related stigma predicted self-reports of disclosure to a parent but not to a friend or intimate partner. Specific reasons for and against self-disclosure predicted HIV disclosure based on the type of relationship with the potential disclosure recipient. The data analyses were also stratified by gender; these results were, with some exceptions, consistent with the findings with the total sample. The research introduces scales that quantify individuals’ reasons for HIV disclosure and/or nondisclosure.

Stigma consciousness, social constraints, and lesbian well-being

Stigma consciousness, the expectation of prejudice and discrimination, has been associated with negative psychological outcomes for lesbians. This research examined the moderating role of social constraints or difficulty lesbians experience in talking with others about sexual orientation-related issues. One hundred five, predominantly out, lesbians completed measures of stigma consciousness, social constraints, lesbian-related stress, intrusive thoughts, internalized homophobia, negative mood, and physical symptoms. For lesbians who were high (but not low) in social constraints, stigma consciousness was positively associated with intrusive thoughts, internalized homophobia, and physical symptoms. These results add to the literature on the negative consequences of social constraints by suggesting that constraints in combination with high stress that is not necessarily traumatic (i.e., stigma consciousness) are associated with the most negative outcomes.

The Quality of Friendships at Work and Job Satisfaction

The study examines the relationship between quality of a friendship at work and job satisfaction. Faculty and staff (N = 722) at two universities completed measures of the qualities of their best friendship at work and of job satisfaction. Multiple regressions for faculty and staff and for subjects whose best friend was a peer, supervisor or subordinate revealed that the quality of ones best friendship in the workplace is predictive of job satisfaction. A negative aspect of friendship, maintenance difficulty, was related to lower satisfaction for staff (but not faculty) and for workers whose best friend at work was a peer or supervisor. Wishing to spend free time with a best friend at work (voluntary interdependence) and an exchange orientation toward the friend were also negatively related to aspects of job satisfaction. The relationships between feelings about ones best friend at work and feelings about ones job are discussed.

Internalized Sexual Minority Stressors and Same-Sex Intimate Partner Violence

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious problem in both same-sex and heterosexual relationships. Although there are numerous similarities in the dynamics of IPV, gay men and lesbians experience unique stressors related to their sexual minority status. This preliminary, descriptive study examined the relationship among internalized homophobia, stigma consciousness, and openness to self-reported IPV victimization and perpetration. Among 581 men and lesbians, approximately one-quarter reported IPV victimization and almost 10% reported IPV perpetration. When demographic variables of age, sex of participant, and relationship status were controlled, victims of IPV reported greater expectations of prejudice and discrimination, yet were more open about their sexual orientation. Similarly, expectations of prejudice and discrimination were related to IPV perpetration. As researchers and counselors focus on understanding, and ultimately reducing, same-sex IPV, it is imperative that sexual minority stressors are considered.

Self-disclosure reciprocity, liking and the deviant

Abstract Conflicting predictions were derived from social exchange theory about the role of social attraction and the reciprocity norm on mutual self-disclosure in dyadic relationships. Sixty-six female subjects were exposed to one of three levels of disclosure input: conventional-low disclosure, conventional-high disclosure, or devianthigh disclosure. In support of the reciprocity norm prediction, willingness to disclose personal information was a positive function of the amount of disclosure input from another person, regardless of the degree of liking for the initial discloser.

Close relationships and social support in coping with HIV: a test of sensitive interaction systems theory.

This study tested sensitive interaction systems theory, and examined how persons with HIV seek and receive social support in relationships with peers versus parents and the association between different kinds of support-receiving behaviors and depressive symptoms. The participants were men and women with HIV in southeastern Virginia who completed a self-administered questionnaire about their relations with parents, an intimate partner, and a close friend. Participants reported using more Ask behaviors (a direct form of support seeking) with a friend and an intimate partner than with parents. They also reported receiving more Approach (Solve/Solace) forms of support from a friend and an intimate partner than from parents and less Avoidance (Escape/Dismiss) from a close friend than from parents. As a support-seeking behavior Ask was most likely to be associated with Approach forms of support providing from all types of relationship partners. Avoidance from parents, an intimate partner, or a friend was positively associated with depressive symptoms. Counselors should discuss with clients the social support process and how different forms of support seeking and support providing may be more or less useful in coping with HIV.

Migration, behaviour change and HIV/STD risks in China.

Abstract This paper examines if and how temporary migration increases the risk for HIV/STDs in China. Results suggest that temporary migrants had significantly higher prevalence of HIV-risk sexual and drug using behaviours but no significant differences were found between migrants and non-migrants in prevalence of HIV/STDs. Employing logistic regression analysis, we examined three mechanisms—lax social control, social isolation and migrant selectivity—by which the process of migration may lead to behaviour changes that increase migrants’ HIV/STD risks. Results indicate that post-migration lax social control was the most significant mediating factor between migration and HIV risk behaviours. Temporary migrants are at high risk of HIV/STDs. Prevention interventions need to pay particular attention to migrants’ post-migration lax social control.

Positive and negative forms of social support: Effects of conversational topics on coping with stress among same-sex friends

Abstract We examined the value of various conversational topics among same-sex friends on coping with stress. Talking about ones feelings with a friend in anticipation of a stressful event (guiding a spider through a maze in a participant-modeling task) did less to reduce stress than did talking about problem-solving or unrelated content. Talking about ones feelings was associated with a relatively high level of negative affect (as measured by Multiple Affect Adjective Checklist Today Form scores on anxiety and depression). The results indicate that the nature of social interactions must be assessed to determine whether social support will be beneficial or not. Interaction with friends may help or hinder how well one copes with stress depending on the type of contact that occurs.

Friendship, Social Interaction, and Coping With Stress

The experiment described in this article examined how interacting with a friend as opposed to a stranger in anticipation of a stressful event (giving an extemporaneous speech) affects coping. Results indicated that subjects perceived more social support after interacting with a friend than with a stranger. They were less depressed and were judged to be more confident during the extemporaneous speech after interacting with an opposite-sex friend than with an opposite-sex stranger. Specific verbal and nonverbal behaviors contributed to successful coping. Subjects reported less fear if they talked about their feelings about public speaking during the social interaction, and they were more confident while speaking if they engaged in problem-solving talk. Problem-solving, other-related, and unrelated talk predicted perceived social support. Of the nonverbal behaviors measured, eye contact was the best predictor of coping and perceived social support.