Yamile Molina

Measuring multiple minority stress: the LGBT People of Color Microaggressions Scale.

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals who are also racial/ethnic minorities (LGBT-POC) are a multiply marginalized population subject to microaggressions associated with both racism and heterosexism. To date, research on this population has been hampered by the lack of a measurement tool to assess the unique experiences associated with the intersection of these oppressions. To address this gap in the literature, we conducted a three-phase, mixed method empirical study to assess microaggressions among LGBT-POC. The LGBT People of Color Microaggressions Scale is an 18-item self-report scale assessing the unique types of microaggressions experienced by ethnic minority LGBT adults. The measure includes three subscales: (a) Racism in LGBT communities, (b) Heterosexism in Racial/Ethnic Minority Communities, and (c) Racism in Dating and Close Relationships, that are theoretically consistent with prior literature on racial/ethnic minority LGBTs and have strong psychometric properties including internal consistency and construct validity in terms of correlations with measures of psychological distress and LGBT-identity variables. Men scored higher on the LGBT-PCMS than women, lesbians and gay men scored higher than bisexual women and men, and Asian Americans scored higher than African Americans and Latina/os.

Mushroom Body Volume Is Related to Social Aggression and Ovary Development in the Paperwasp Polistes instabilis

The mushroom bodies (MB) are a complex neuropil in insect brains that have been implicated in higher-order information processing such as sensory integration and various types of learning and memory. Eusocial insects are excellent models to test functional neural plasticity in the MB because genetically related nest mates differ in task performance, environmental experience and social interactions. Previous research on eusocial insects shows that experience-dependent changes in brain anatomy (i.e., enlarged MB calyces) are positively correlated with task performance and social interactions. In this study, we quantified relationships of task performance and social and reproductive dominance with MB volume in Polistes instabilis, a primitively eusocial paper wasp. We used experimental removals of dominant workers to induce changes in aggressive behavior and foraging by workers. Ovary development and social dominance were positively associated with the volume of the MB calyces relative to the region containing the Kenyon cell bodies. In contrast to highly eusocial insect workers, foraging behavior was not positively correlated with MB calycal volume. We conclude that mushroom body volume is more strongly associated with dominance rank than with foraging behavior in Polistes instabilis.

The Daily Heterosexist Experiences Questionnaire Measuring Minority Stress Among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Adults

The authors conducted a three-phase, mixed-methods study to develop a self-report measure assessing the unique aspects of minority stress for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender adults. The Daily Heterosexist Experiences Questionnaire has 50 items and nine subscales with acceptable internal reliability, and construct and concurrent validity. Mean sexual orientation and gender differences were found.

The Stigma Scale for Chronic Illnesses 8-Item Version (SSCI-8): Development, Validation and Use Across Neurological Conditions

BackgroundAlthough the impact of stigma has been highlighted for epileptic populations, the experiences of people living with other neurological conditions have been less studied.PurposeIn order to promote research on stigma among people with neurological conditions, we sought to develop and psychometrically validate an eight-item questionnaire measuring internalised and enacted stigma experienced by people with epilepsy, multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson’s disease (PD), stroke and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).MethodWe used item response theory methodologies to select items and field tested our items with 587 participants from eight academic medical centres across the USA.ResultsWe conducted exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis as well as examined the scale’s reliability and validity. In addition, we conducted an analysis of variance test to examine mean total score differences across the five neurological conditions. Data from people across conditions revealed that the shortened instrument conformed to an essentially unidimensional model of multifaceted stigma as a one-factor questionnaire with correlated residuals on a pair of items that distinctly measured internalised stigma.ConclusionPreliminary evidence suggests that the Stigma Scale for Chronic Illness 8-item version fits a unidimensional model, which assesses enacted and internalised stigma, and has adequate internal consistency/reliability and validity in relation to psychological distress and patient performance. Our results suggest fairly low stigma for neurological populations. In addition, our results suggest that stigma may be more severe for patients with ALS relative to those with MS and PD. In the future, the SSCI-8 scale could be used practically in clinic settings to examine stigma without the patient burden associated with lengthier scales.

HIV/AIDS stigma: Measurement and relationships to psycho-behavioral factors in Latino gay/bisexual men and transgender women

Despite the increased interest in HIV/AIDS stigma and its negative effects on the health and social support of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), little attention has been given to its assessment among Latino gay/ bisexual men and transgender women (GBT) living with HIV/AIDS. The purpose of this paper is twofold: to develop a multidimensional assessment of HIV/AIDS stigma for Latino GBT living with HIV/AIDS, and to test whether such stigma is related to self-esteem, safe sex self-efficacy, social support, and alcohol, and drug use. The sample included 170 HIV+ Latino GBT persons. The results revealed three dimensions of stigma: internalized, perceived, and enacted HIV/AIDS stigma. Enacted HIV/AIDS stigma comprised two domains: generalized and romantic and sexual. Generalized enacted HIV/AIDS stigma was related to most outcomes. Internalized HIV/AIDS stigma mediated the associations between generalized enacted HIV/AIDS stigma and self-esteem and safe sex self-efficacy. In addition, romantic and sexual enacted HIV/AIDS stigma significantly predicted drug use. Perceived HIV/AIDS stigma was not associated with any outcome. These findings expand the understanding of the multidimensionality of stigma and the manner in which various features impact marginalized PLWHA.

Racial/ethnic differences in identity and mental health outcomes among young sexual minority women.

Previous research suggests that sexual minorities are at greater risk for trauma exposure, mental health problems, and substance use. To date, few studies have examined racial/ethnic differences among sexual minorities in relation to health-related behaviors and outcomes. Furthermore, studies of racial/ethnic differences among young adult sexual minority women (SMW) are virtually nonexistent. The current study adds to the previous literature by exploring differences in trauma exposure, sexual identity, mental health, and substance use in a nonprobability national sample of young adult SMW. A total of 967 self- identified lesbian and bisexual women were recruited via the Internet using social networking sites to participate in a larger longitudinal study on young womens health behaviors. The present study included 730 (76%) White, 108 (10%) African American, 91 (9%) Latina, and 38 (4%) Asian women ages 18 to 25 years. Results revealed differences in socioeconomic variables, degree of outness to family, childhood sexual assault, and forcible rape, but not overall lifetime trauma exposure. Among mental health and health-related behavior variables, few differences between groups emerged. Our findings indicate that both researchers and clinicians should turn their attention to processes of resilience among young SMW, particularly young SMW of color.

Comparative analysis of constraints and caste differences in brain investment among social paper wasps

We compared species mean data on the size of functionally distinct brain regions to test the relative rates at which investment in higher-order cognitive processing (mushroom body calyces) versus peripheral sensory processing (optic and antennal lobes) increased with increasing brain size. Subjects were eusocial paper wasps from queen and worker castes of 10 species from different genera. Relative investment in central processing tissue increased with brain size at a higher rate than peripheral structure investment, demonstrating that tissue devoted to higher-order cognitive processing is more constrained by brain size. This pattern held for raw data and for phylogenetically independent contrasts. These findings suggest that there is a minimum necessary investment in peripheral sensory processing brain tissue, with little to gain from additional investment. In contrast, increased brain size provides opportunities to invest in additional higher-order cognitive processing tissue. Reproductive castes differed within species in brain tissue investment, with higher central-to-peripheral brain tissue ratios in queens than in workers. Coupled with previous findings that paper wasp queen, but not worker, brain architecture corresponds to ecological and social variation, queen brain evolution appears to be most strongly shaped by cognitive demands, such as social interactions. These evolutionary patterns of neural investment echo findings in other animal lineages and have important implications, given that a greater investment in higher-order processing has been shown to increase the prevalence of complex and flexible behaviors across the animal kingdom.

Understanding the Patient-Provider Communication Needs and Experiences of Latina and Non-Latina White Women Following an Abnormal Mammogram

Latinas are more likely to delay recommended follow-up care than non-Latina White (NLW) women after an abnormal mammogram result. Ethnic differences in communication needs and experiences with health-care staff and providers may contribute to these delays as well as satisfaction with care. Nonetheless, little research has explored the aspects of communication that may contribute to patient comprehension, adherence to follow-up care, and satisfaction across ethnicity. The purpose of this exploratory, qualitative study was to identify patients’ communication needs and experiences with follow-up care among Latina and NLW women who received an abnormal mammogram. We conducted 41 semi-structured interviews with 19 Latina and 22 NLW women between the ages of 40 and 74 who had received an abnormal mammogram. Communication themes indicated that women’s needs and experiences concerning abnormal mammograms and follow-up care varied across ethnicity. Latinas and NLW women appeared to differ in their comprehension of abnormal results and follow-up care as a result of language barriers and health literacy. Both groups of women identified clear, empathic communication as being important in patient-provider communication; however, Latinas underscored the need for warm communicative styles, and NLW women emphasized the importance of providing more information. Women with high levels of satisfaction with patient-provider interactions appeared to have positive perspectives of subsequent screening and cancer treatment. To improve patient satisfaction and adherence to follow-up care among Latinas, educational programs are necessary to counsel health-care professionals with regard to language, health literacy, and empathic communication needs in health-care service delivery.

Plans to obtain a mammogram among Chilean women: the roles of recommendations and self-efficacy

Social factors may heavily influence cancer screening decisions and practices among Latinas, given the importance their culture places on close, interpersonal relationships. Recommendations by healthcare providers, family and friends have been associated with early detection strategies among US-based Latina populations, but little is known about other Latin American populations. Furthermore, less is known about mechanisms underlying this relationship. In this study, we sought to (i) understand if different types of recommendations were associated with subsequent plans to obtain a mammogram and (ii) assess the potential mediating roles of perceived importance of these recommendations and self-efficacy. Our sample included 250 women residing in a low-income, urban area of Santiago, Chile, and who had participated in a 6-month intervention to increase mammography screening, but remained non-compliant. Women who received family recommendations were more likely to indicate they planned to receive a mammogram in the next 6 months. Perceived self-efficacy mediated this relationship, such that women who received a family recommendation appeared to be more likely to plan to get a mammogram because of increased perceived capabilities to do so. Future research should consider the cultural context of family and self-efficacy in the development of screening interventions for Latinas.

Stigma towards PLWHA: The Role of Internalized Homosexual Stigma in Latino Gay/Bisexual Male and Transgender Communities

Stigma negatively affects the health of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). Negative attitudes and discriminatory actions towards PLWHA are thought to be based, among other factors, on stigma towards sexual minorities and beliefs about personal responsibility. Yet, there is little evidence to support these linkages and explain how they take place, especially among Latinos. This study analyzes attitudes towards PLWHA among 643 Latino gay/bisexual men and transgender (GBT) people. It examines whether discriminatory actions are predicted by beliefs about personal responsibility and internalized homosexual stigma. Results indicate that Discriminatory Actions towards PLWHA is associated with HIV/AIDS Personal Responsibility Beliefs and Internalized Homosexual Stigma. Further, HIV/AIDS Personal Responsibility Beliefs partially mediates the relationship between Internalized Homosexual Stigma and Discriminatory Actions towards PLWHA. Latino GBT persons who have internalized negative views about homosexuality may project those onto PLWHA. They may think PLWHA are responsible for their serostatus and, hence, deserving of rejection.