Symposia
LGBQT+
Shari A. Brown, M.A.
University of Hawai’i at Manoa
Honolulu, Hawaii
Frank Floyd, PhD
Retired Faculty
University of Hawaii at Manoa
Honolulu, Hawaii
Objective: Sexual and Gender Minority, Black, Indigenous, and Other People of Colour (SGM BIPOC) in the U.S. experience racial, sexual orientation, and gender discrimination. We hypothesize that discrimination should negatively impact mental health, but that positive ethnic and intersectional identities might be beneficial by helping to protect mental health.
Method: This study is a part of a larger ongoing study in which data is being collected online from adults 18 years or older who reside in the United States and identify as SGM. The current study analyzed data from 235 participants who identified as members of both SGM and BIPOC communities. The main effects of the relationship between discrimination, positive ethnic identity, positive intersectional identity, and depression were analyzed using multiple regression analyses.
Results: In line with the hypothesis, preliminary results indicate that there are significant main effects of discrimination, positive ethnic identity, and positive intersectional identity on depression. Higher rates of discrimination are associated with higher levels of depression, however, higher positive ethnic and positive intersectional identities are associated with lower levels of depression.
Conclusion: These findings add to the growing literature on the relationship between ethnic identity, discrimination, and mental health, while adding to the limited data in this area focused on ethnic and intersectional identity among SGM BIPOC people. This data suggests that positive ethnic and intersectional identities might make independent contributions to mental health among SGM BIPOC people, and that these identities could serve as buffers against discrimination experiences.