Open Access Publications - Department of Human Development and Family Sciences

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Open access publications by faculty, staff, postdocs, and graduate students in the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences.

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Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorder Stigma: Mapping Pathways Between Structures and Individuals to Accelerate Research and Intervention
(Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 2025-01-13) Earnshaw, Valerie A.; Mousavi, Mohammad; Qiu, Xueli; Fox, Annie B.
Researchers, interventionists, and clinicians are increasingly recognizing the importance of structural stigma in elevating the risk of mental illnesses (MIs) and substance use disorders (SUDs) and in undermining MI/SUD treatment and recovery. Yet, the pathways through which structural stigma influences MI/SUD-related outcomes remain unclear. In this review, we aim to address this gap by summarizing scholarship on structural MI/SUD stigma and identifying pathways whereby structural stigma affects MI/SUD-related outcomes. We introduce a conceptual framework that describes how structural-level stigma mechanisms influence the MI/SUD treatment cascade via (a) interpersonal- and individual-level stigma mechanisms and (b) mediating processes among people with MI/SUD (i.e., access to resources, psychological responses, behavioral responses, social isolation). We consider intersections between MI/SUD stigma and stigma based on race/ethnicity, gender identity, and sexual orientation. Finally, we discuss the implications of this review for future research, interventions, and clinical practice.
How Do Anxiety and Depression Trajectories Vary Among Black, Latinx, and Afro-Latinx Sexual Minority Young Men? Uncovering Variation in Development With Intersectional Subgroups
(Developmental Psychology, 2025-02-20) Layland, Eric K.; Diaz, José E.; Parra, Luis A.; Berglund, Patricia; Kipke , Michele D.; Bray, Bethany C.
The present study investigated whether the patterns of intersectional stigma experiences were associated with differences in the developmental, parallel trajectories of anxious and depressive symptoms across the transition to adulthood among Black, Latinx, and Afro-Latinx cisgender sexual minority young men. Data were from the Healthy Young Men’s Cohort Study collected semiannually from 2016 to 2020 in Los Angeles and included 426 cisgender Black, Latinx, and Afro-Latinx sexual minority young men between the ages of 18 and 25 at baseline. Multidomain latent growth modeling with a complex grouping variable was used to estimate the parallel trajectories of anxious and depressive symptoms and whether these trajectories varied based on the patterns of intersectional stigma at baseline. Models were adjusted for individually varying age of observations to approximate the growth processes from ages 18 to 29. Results demonstrated a general decline in anxious symptoms and depressive symptoms over time. Relative to all other patterns of stigma experiences, the subgroup characterized by a pattern of compounding racism and heterosexism exhibited the highest levels of anxious and depressive symptoms and an earlier peak in anxious symptoms. This compound stigma group also exhibited an earlier and the highest peak in anxious symptoms compared to all other groups. Results highlight the impact of intersecting stigma on mental health across early adult development, the need for mental health intervention early or before the transition to adulthood, and continued effort to challenge and combat racist and heterosexist biases. Public Significance Statement Subgroups of Black, Latinx, and Afro-Latinx sexual minority men who experience different patterns of intersectional stigma early in the transition to adulthood also experience higher levels of anxiety and depression. Young men experiencing compounded racism and heterosexism are likely to need earlier intervention to prevent the higher levels and earlier peak in mental health symptoms.
Legal Systems and Domestic Violence: Changes in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
(Journal of Family Violence, 2025-03-11) Fleury-Steiner, Ruth E.; Wells, Sarah A.; Miller, Susan L.; Camphausen, Lauren C.; Horney, Jennifer A.
Purpose The COVID-19 pandemic and associated public health control measures resulted in both higher rates of intimate partner abuse and violence (IPA/V) and more severe victimization. Domestic violence advocacy programs struggled to maintain organizational capacity to provide survivor-centered services in the face of both increased demand and rapid changes necessary to mitigate disease spread. The current study explores ways that legal advocates and the legal systems responded to the needs of IPA/V survivors. Methods Leaders of 25 state and territory Coalitions across the U.S. participated in the study. Semi-structured interview questions were based on rapidly emerging areas of concern and drew on possible strengths and weaknesses in direct service provision during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, including questions about public health control measures, service provision, gaps in services, and lessons learned. Results Interviews with Coalition leaders revealed gaps in legal system responses during the pandemic, but also suggested new directions for service delivery. Four main themes emerged: lack of access to the legal system, limitations of in-person legal system responses, limitations of virtual legal system responses, and changes needed moving forward. Conclusion Backlogs in case processing communicate to survivors and the larger community that responding to IPA/V is not urgent. Advocates faced difficulty supporting survivors in person while virtual hearings sometimes presented other challenges for advocacy. However, some changes, including innovative online services and broad resolve to center BIPOC survivor voices, have the potential to enhance safety for survivors and push the movement forward.
Teaching young multilingual learners: impacts of a professional learning programme on teachers’ practices and students’ language and literacy skills
(Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 2025-03-04) Babinski, Leslie; Amendum, Steven; Madeline Carrig; Knotek, Steven; Sanchez, Marta
Using a randomised control trial, we evaluated the impact of a year-long professional learning (PL) programme for teachers designed to support their multilingual learners’ language and literacy skills. The PL included evidence-based instructional practices for literacy, a semi-structured model for collaboration, and a strengths-based approach in instruction. Participants included 39 kindergarten and first-grade teachers and 106 multilingual learners (MLs) from 13 schools in two districts in the Southeastern United States. Using a mixed modelling approach, we found significantly higher literacy growth on the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) for MLs whose teachers participated in the PL. The PL also had a significant impact on teachers’ collaboration planning and processes with their students’ English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers. Effect sizes for the impact on teachers’ use of evidence-based instructional strategies and collaboration frequency were large but not statistically significant. The findings from this study show positive impacts of a teacher professional learning programme on teachers’ practices and young MLs’ literacy growth.
“They Just Don’t Get That We Matter”: Black Boys’ Critical Consciousness Development During a Health Crisis and Racial Reckoning
(Urban Review, 2025-02-06) Carey, Roderick L.; Polanco, Camila; Blackman, Horatio; Daughtry, Kendell A.; Abrams, Holly R.; Miller, Mark X.; Marianno, Latrice; Vilceus, Sophia Sunshine; Alobwede, Epie; Woelki, William
While the COVID-19 pandemic and heightened racial unrest throughout 2020–2021 brought forth unprecedented disruption and trauma to youth and their families globally, these societal occurrences also provided fodder for youth learning and development. We use a theory of critical consciousness development (e.g., critical reflection, critical motivation, and critical action) and a racialized lens on social-psychological “mattering” to explore the voiced perspectives of adolescent Black high school boys, who participated in our school-university research partnership called The Black Boy Mattering Project. Findings from focus group interviews, gathered over the course of two school years, revealed that as participants navigated the health crisis and widespread racial reckoning, they deepened their critical consciousness of their marginal mattering. Marginal mattering reflects a type of perceived insignificance driven by sensing hyper-awareness from others for the alleged negative traits of one’s minoritized (e.g., racial) group. It led to Black boys feeling unappreciated, undervalued, and even feared in society and school environments. Findings show that while maneuvering COVID-19, participants’ encounters with Black Lives Matter via social media and news outlets inspired their critical reflection on the racial realities that framed their social and school lives and fueled their marginal mattering. Participants also determined protestors’ capacity to impact social change for the Black community, which inspired them to evaluate their critical motivation for making school-level change. While participants did not join street-level protests, they engaged in critical action through social media and some school-based endeavors. Implications suggest ways forward for more humanizing school policies and practices.
Purpose in life moderates the relationship between perceived discrimination and cognitive functioning in midlife and older adults
(Aging & Mental Health, 2024-12-05) Farmer, Heather R.; Eze, Jesse; Ambroise, Alexis Z.; Thomas Tobin, Courtney S.; Wroten, Elizabeth; Goldman, Hava; Stokes, Jeffrey E.
Objectives Discrimination is associated with worse cognitive outcomes, but research is urgently needed to identify modifiable psychosocial resources that may buffer the impact of discrimination on cognition. Purpose in life is one such resource associated with positive health outcomes. However, it is unclear whether purpose in life may buffer the relationship between discrimination and cognition among older adults. Method We drew a sample of 22,369 adults aged 51 and older in the 2006 to 2020 waves of the nationally-representative Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Multilevel mixed models assessed whether (1) measures of everyday discrimination and purpose in life and (2) a purpose in life x discrimination interaction term were associated with cognition. Results Discrimination was associated with poorer cognitive functioning, both on its own and when controlling for purpose in life. Likewise, purpose in life was significantly associated with better cognitive functioning, with and without controlling for discrimination. Results also indicated that purpose in life significantly moderated the association between discrimination and cognitive functioning (b = 0.05, p = 0.01). Conclusion Findings underscore the importance of psychosocial resources that may serve as stress-buffering mechanisms and protect older adults’ cognitive health. Future research is needed to clarify the biobehavioral mechanisms that may underlie this association.
Experiences of Gender-Based Stigma in Health Care in North America: A Mixed-Methods Scoping Review and Synthesis of the Literature
(Women's Health Reports, 2024-11-07) Meyers-Pantele, Stephanie A.; Ma, Junye; Horvath, Keith J.; Yu, Ingrid; Logie, Carmen H.; Rafful, Claudia; Earnshaw, Valerie A.
Background: Gender-based stigma (GBS) is widely recognized as a barrier to health care-related outcomes globally, including in North America. Although GBS permeates health care institutions, little research has examined the individual-level experiences of GBS in health care, how these may intersect with other marginalized social positions, or how GBS shapes health care outcomes. Materials and Methods: Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines, this scoping review synthesized the peer-reviewed English scientific literature, through April 2023, on GBS related to health care for cisgender persons. Articles were included if they were from North America and quantitatively or qualitatively investigated either (1) experiences of GBS in health care settings or (2) the relationship between GBS and health care outcomes (e.g., health care access, health care engagement, and treatment adherence). Results: Of the 25 studies included, the quantitative articles (n = 13) demonstrated mixed findings regarding both the prevalence of experiences of GBS in health care (8 − 53%) and the impact of GBS on health care outcomes. However, all (n = 14) of the qualitative articles demonstrated that GBS negatively shapes health care experiences, particularly for those occupying intersectional social positions, and is influenced by societal gender norms. Furthermore, gendered experiences of violence and abuse negatively shape care outcomes, both inside and outside of health care contexts. Conclusions: The quantitative literature lacks consensus regarding the influence of GBS in health care, but the qualitative literature more clearly demonstrates GBS’s deleterious effect on health care, especially for women. The use of validated GBS measures and intersectional approaches is needed to fully understand the role of GBS in health care.
The Power of the Poetry Club
(Journal of Educational Research and Innovation, 2024) Vazquez, April
Poetry spaces provide a place where young people can express themselves and develop skills like critical thinking, empathy, and creativity. They empower young people, particularly those at the margins of society. I organized an extracurricular poetry club, Yo Misma, with Latina adolescents in which we read the work of ten Latin American women poets. As a result of the experience, club members made connections between the poems and their own lives. Furthermore, reading poems by poets they identified helped the girls to find their own voices, both as readers and writers.
HIV Activist Identity, Commitment, and Orientation Scale (HAICOS): Psychometric Evaluation to Assess Clinician’s Propensity Towards HIV Activism in Malaysia
(AIDS and Behavior, 2024-05-28) Chong, Norman; Azwa, Iskandar; Hassan, Asfarina Amir; Mousavi, Mohammad Ebrahimzadeh; Wong, Pui Li Wong; Ng, Rong Xiang; Saifi, Rumana; Basri, Sazali; Omar, Sharifah Faridah Syed; Walters, Suzan M.; Collier, Zachary K.; Haddad, Marwan S.; Altice, Frederick L.; Kamarulzaman, Adeeba; Earnshaw, Valerie A.
HIV activism has a long history of advancing HIV treatment and is critical in dismantling HIV-related stigma. This study evaluated the psychometric quality of the HIV Activist Identity, Commitment, and Orientation Scale (HAICOS) to assess clinicians’ propensity towards HIV activism in Malaysia. From November 2022 to March 2023, 74 general practitioners and primary care physicians in Malaysia participated in the study. The exploratory factor analysis (EFA) extracted an internally consistent three-factor solution with 13 items: (1) HIV activist identity and commitment, orientation towards (2) day-to-day, and (3) structural activism. The Cronbach’s alpha value was 0.91, and intra-class correlation coefficient for test-retest reliability was 0.86. Stigma-related (prejudice and discrimination intent) and clinical practice (comfort in performing clinical tasks with key populations and knowledge about HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis) measures supported the construct validity of the scale. The study provided concise, structurally valid, and reliable measures to evaluate HIV activism among clinicians. Resumen El activismo del VIH tiene una larga historia de avanzar el tratamiento del VIH y es crítico para desmantelar el estigma relacionado al VIH. Este estudio evaluó la calidad psicométrica de la Escala de Identidad, Compromiso y Orientación de Activistas del VIH (HAICOS) para evaluar la propensión de los médicos hacia el activismo del VIH en Malasia. Desde noviembre del 2022 hasta marzo del 2023, 74 médicos generales y de atención primaria en Malasia participaron en este estudio. El análisis factorial exploratorio (AFE) extrajo una solución de tres factores internamente consistente con 13 ítems: (1) identidad y compromiso del activismo del VIH; orientación hacia (2) el activismo cotidiano y (3) el activismo estructural. El valor alfa de Cronbach fue de 0.91 y el coeficiente de correlación intraclase para la confiabilidad prueba-reprueba fue de 0.86. Las medidas relacionadas con el estigma (prejuicio e intención de discriminación) y la práctica clínica (comodidad realizando tareas clínicas con poblaciones claves y conocimiento sobre la profilaxis pre-exposición del VIH) respaldaron la validez de constructo de la escala. El estudio proporcionó medidas concisas, estructuralmente válidas y confiables para evaluar el activismo de VIH entre los médicos.
Russian Immigrant Families’ Child Care Selection in the United States
(Early Childhood Education Journal, 2024-11-16) Novikova, Ekaterina; Hallam, Rena; Pic, Annette
Research on immigrant populations shows that child care choices are dependent on the population’s region of origin. While the Russian immigrant population in the United States comprises the largest group of immigrants from Eastern Europe and is likely to increase in the future, there is virtually no research on Russian immigrant families’ child care search and selection criteria. This qualitative study applies the theoretical model of Pungello and Kurtz-Costes (1999), which illustrates how factors such as parental demographic characteristics, environmental context, child characteristics, and parental beliefs play into families’ child care selection. The study draws from semi-structured interviews with 11 Russian immigrant families residing in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States to examine their child care search processes and selection criteria. Results revealed that most parents found child care through friends’ recommendations, Internet search, and online reviews. Nine themes describing child care criteria valued by Russian immigrant families emerged from the analysis. Specifically, parents mentioned culture and personal beliefs, child characteristics, convenience, cost and subsidy, education and learning, program features, facilities and environment, teacher characteristics, and rating and reputation as the major factors in selecting child care. Understanding Russian immigrant parents’ child care information sources and selection criteria will allow for early care and education (ECE) providers to accommodate the needs of Russian immigrant population and for policymakers to facilitate access to ECE programs for these families.
Antitrans Policy Environment and Depression and Anxiety Symptoms in Transgender and Nonbinary Adults
(Jama Network Open, 2024-08-22) Restar, Arjee; Layland, Eric K.; Hughes, Landon; Dusic, Emerson; Lucas, Ruby; Bambilla, Audren J. K.; Martin, Aleks; Shook, Alic; Karrington, Baer; Schwarz, Deborah; Shimkin, Genya; Grandberry, Vanessa; Xanadu, Xero; Streed, Carl G., Jr.; Operario, Don; Gamarel, Kristi E.; Kershaw, Trace
Key Points Question: Is awareness of current policies addressing access to health care for transgender and nonbinary (trans) populations associated with depression and anxiety? Findings: In this cross-sectional study of 797 trans individuals living in Washington State, concerns about trans rights being taken away were associated with significantly higher odds of depression and anxiety symptoms. Individuals with accurate knowledge of state-level protective legislation had lower odds of depression and anxiety. Meaning: In a policy environment with increasing legislation aimed at eroding trans rights and access to care, interventions that increase awareness and accurate knowledge of policies that protect access to trans health care could help address distress around losing trans rights and may mitigate the negative impact of nationwide antitrans policies on mental health outcomes in trans adults. Abstract Importance: With the increasing legislation restricting health care access for transgender and nonbinary (trans) populations in recent years, there has been limited research on how awareness of and concerns about legislative restrictions and protections influence mental health outcomes. Objective: To examine whether awareness of and concerns about the current policy environment regarding trans individuals are associated with depression and anxiety symptoms among trans adults. Design, Setting, and Participants: This study uses cross-sectional data collected between March and April 2023 from the Washington Priority Assessment in Trans Health (PATH) Project, an online study designed by, with, and for trans communities. All participants were trans adults, aged 18 years or older, living in Washington state. Exposure: Awareness and concerns about the antitrans policy environment. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcomes were depression and anxiety symptoms, assessed via the Patient Health Questionnaire–4. A series of multivariable regression models was used to assess the association between awareness and concerns about the antitrans policy environment and depression and anxiety symptoms. Models were adjusted for covariates, including demographics, social marginalization, and health care experiences. Results: A total of 797 participants (653 women [81.93%]; 455 aged 18-29 years [57.09%]) were included. The majority screened positive for current depression (689 individuals [86.45%]) and anxiety (686 individuals [86.07%]) symptoms. Trans individuals who were concerned or worried about their rights being taken away (vs not) had significantly higher odds of current depression symptoms (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.66; 95% CI, 1.08-2.54), as well as current anxiety symptoms (aOR, 2.67; 95% CI, 1.63-4.36). Those who knew (vs did not know) about state-level protective legislation had significantly lower odds of current depression symptoms (aOR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.28-0.67), as well as current anxiety symptoms (aOR, 0.11; 95% CI, 0.04-0.25). When examining interaction effect estimates, trans individuals who correctly knew about the protective policies and were not worried about having their rights taken away reported the lowest odds of depression and anxiety. Conclusions and Relevance: The findings of this cross-sectional study are consistent with research elucidating the negative mental health consequences of policies limiting health care access and provide insights into informing policies and interventions that target trans populations’ worsened mental health outcomes as a result of antitrans legislation.
LGBTQ+ Youth Identity Disclosure Processes: A Systematic Review
(Adolescent Research Review, 2024-06-07) Mousavi, Mohammad; Chong, Norman; Earnshaw, Valerie A.; Layland, Eric K.
Disclosure, as a complex social process, profoundly influences the well-being of LGBTQ + youth. This study, guided by the disclosure process model, systematically reviews and synthesizes LGBTQ + youth disclosure literature, considering it as a developmental, multi-component process across various contexts. After screening 5,433 articles, 29 studies were identified, focusing on identity-disclosure processes among LGBTQ + youth aged 26 or younger. These studies were scrutinized for disclosure process components, individual and contextual factors shaping disclosure, and potential bias. Findings reveal a predominant focus on avoidance goals (e.g., fear of rejection, LGBTQ + stigma) rather than approach goals (e.g., seeking belonging, authenticity) in studies examining the disclosure decision-making process. Reactions to disclosures were often mixed, initially leaning negative but evolving positively over time. Mental health emerged as the most studied outcome of disclosure. Additionally, disclosure processes were shaped by disclosure recipients, social context, and cultural beliefs. In conclusion, research on LGBTQ + youth disclosure is advancing and evolving, with increasing attention to disclosure goals and outcomes. Rather than viewing disclosure as a singular event, this review underscores LGBTQ + youth identity disclosure as a complex, developmental process extending over time and across diverse contexts.
Kept in the Closet: Structural Stigma and the Timing of Sexual Minority Developmental Milestones Across 28 European Countries
(Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 2023-07-06) Layland, Eric K.; Bränström, R.; Murchison, G. R.; Pachankis, J. E.
Structural stigma’s role in lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people’s attainment of identity development milestones remains unknown. In a sample of 111,498 LGB people (ages 15 to 65+) living across 28 European countries, associations were investigated between structural stigma measured using an objective index of discriminatory country-level laws and policies affecting LGB people and the timing and pacing of LGB self-awareness, coming out, and closet duration, and subgroup differences in these associations. On average, self-awareness occurred at age 14.8 years old (SD = 5.1), coming out occurred at 18.5 years old (SD = 5.7), and the closet was 3.9 years long (SD = 4.9); thereby highlighting adolescence as a key period for sexual identity development and disclosure. Greater structural stigma was associated with higher odds of never coming out, later age of coming out, and longer closet duration. Gender identity, transgender identity, and sexual identity moderated associations between structural stigma and these developmental milestones. Reducing structural stigma can plausibly promote sexual identity development among LGB populations, especially during adolescence when identity related milestones are often attained.
Narrowing ‘Bathtub Volunteerism’ in Singapore and Beyond Through High-quality Adolescent and Young Adult Volunteer Experiences
(Young, 2024-08-06) Kwan, Jin Yao; Wray-Lake, Laura
High-quality volunteerism experiences in adolescence are associated with higher volunteerism later in life, yet less is understood about contextualized features of these experiences, especially when school-based programmes are mandatory. Relatedly, narrowing ‘bathtub volunteerism’ (i.e., increasing postgraduation youth volunteerism and shortening the period between volunteer disengagement and resumption) remains a research gap. Therefore, using in-depth retrospective qualitative interviews with 50 young Singaporeans, we aimed to understand features of high-quality volunteer experiences in schools (among adolescents) and communities (among young adults). Findings indicated that within a national context of compulsory school-based volunteerism, ‘bathtub volunteerism’ was narrowed efficaciously when adolescents and young adults were exposed to high-quality school- and community-based volunteer experiences, respectively. High-quality school-based experiences granted student autonomy and facilitated empathy development. Community-based ones combined cause selectivity, personal meaning and close interpersonal relationships. Our findings offer insights to raise volunteerism rates by developing and propagating high-quality volunteer experiences.
Social Media Use and Early Adolescents’ Academic Achievement: Variations by Parent-Adolescent Communication and Gender
(Youth and Society, 2023-06-21) Gordon, Mellissa S.; Ohannessian, Christine McCauley
Research investigating social media use typically focus on late adolescents and young adults, despite a growing number of early adolescents, 93% to 97%—having at least one social media platform. Also, early adolescents are more likely to engage with newer sites, such as Snapchat and Instagram, than older platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. Given the evolving landscape of social media, the present study examines the impact of the use of various social media platforms, along with its moderating effects, on adolescents’ academic achievement, using a sample of N = 1,459 early adolescents. Results were such that, as frequency of use on each platform: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat increased, academic achievement decreased. Specific to interaction effects, frequent use of Facebook and Instagram and early adolescents’ academic achievement were moderated by motheradolescent communication; while gender moderated the association between frequent use of Twitter and Snapchat and early adolescents’ academic achievement. Implications are discussed.
Sources, Conceptualizations, and Mechanisms of Racism/Oppression for Academic and Mental Health Outcomes
(AERA Open, 2024-06-10) Polk, Whitney M.; Hill, Nancy E.; Hughes, Diane L.
Interpersonal and systemic racism and discrimination persist in our educational system—from primary and secondary institutions through college, despite the forward strides of desegregation, the Civil Rights Movement, and the Black Lives Matter movement. This special topic collection identifies and applies empirically and theoretically grounded conceptualizations of racism to improve our understanding of the experience of racism, interventions to mitigate it, and protective factors. The papers in this collection reflect two themes: 1) racial and religious identities in classrooms, schools, and universities, focusing on how educators mitigate and perpetuate systemic racism, including how White teachers understand the impact of race, how inclusive and antiracism curricula are received and rejected by future educators and clinicians, and the impact of exclusionary social networks in the hiring of teachers of color and 2) school belonging and climate, including documenting that students of color feel less safe, are disproportionately exposed to harsh discipline, question their belonging, and question commitments to diversity. The negative sequelae are concurrent and last into adulthood. In addition, there are several advances in theory and measurement, including assessing gendered and racial biases in teachers’ attributions about students’ abilities, frameworks for mitigating colonial and racialized trauma, and domains of antiracist activism to bring racial justice and equity to schools.
Beyond “Not My Type”: A Quantitative Examination of Intraminority Stigma Among Gay Men Who Use Dating Apps
(Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 2024-03-14) Shepherd, Benjamin F.; Tidwell, Colin A.; Layland, Eric K.; Maki, Justin L.; Brochu, Paula M.
Gay men with intersecting diverse identities are at increased risk for experiencing intraminority stigma (i.e., negative attitudes or discrimination from the gay community based on a socially undervalued identity or trait). The use of dating apps is pervasive among gay men and becoming more common during the ongoing, global COVID-19 pandemic, representing a potential site for intraminority stigma. In this study, the association between online dating and experiences of stigma within the gay community was examined utilizing an international sample of 2,159 gay men through the lens of intraminority gay community stress theory. Participants reported how frequently they experienced stigma from other gay men based on age, socioeconomic status, nonconformity to popular gay culture (i.e., hobbies, beliefs, or ideologies perceived as typical of gay men), race/ethnicity, gender expression, and body size and shape. Approximately 60% of the sample used dating apps/websites every month or more frequently. More frequent dating app use was associated with more frequent experiences of intraminority stress across the constructs of age stigma, socioeconomic stigma, racial/ethnic stigma, and body stigma but not gay nonconformity stigma or gender expression stigma. More frequent dating app use was associated with more intraminority racial/ethnic stigma among gay men of color relative to White gay men and more intraminority age stigma among older gay men relative to younger gay men. Findings provide empirical and contextual evidence for multiple forms of intraminority stigma, paving the way for future intersectional research focused on the social, psychological, and physical well-being of multiply marginalized gay men. Public Significance Statement This study shows that the use of dating apps and websites is common among gay men of varying backgrounds, especially younger and less wealthy gay men, and that gay men who used these services more frequently were more likely to experience stigma from other gay men based on age, socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, and body size and shape. Furthermore, findings suggest older gay men and gay men of color are especially likely to experience identity-based stigma from other gay men while using dating apps/websites.
Living, learning, working, and playing during COVID-19: tackling existing and exacerbated problems of low-income Singaporean youth
(Asia Pacific Journal of Social Work and Development, 2024-02-12) Kwan, Jin Yao; Tan, Joshua; Yi Jie, Chua; Khor, Joanna
COVID-19’s adverse, disproportionate impact on low-income youth — prompting youth-serving professionals to adapt and adjust — is well-documented. However, research gaps exist, including explanatory processes underlying COVID-19’s deleterious impact, systematic documentation of existing and exacerbated problems, and short- and long-term responses of youth-serving professionals. Using a multi-informant mixed methods design guided by a live-learn-work-play theoretical framework, exploratory findings indicated that COVID-19 worsened existing problems across all domains. In the short-term, Singaporean professionals prioritised, moved online, and evaluated programmes. Progressively, they sought to build youth communities, empower families, collaborate, and experiment. Findings have implications for understanding and resolving structural problems perpetuating pre-disaster vulnerabilities.
Practice research’s challenges and opportunities across project conceptualisation, implementation, and dissemination: a Singaporean case study
(China Journal of Social Work, 2024-01-14) Kwan, Jin Yao; Khor, Joanna; Chan, Joe
Because practice research’s benefits in social work contexts are well-documented, research attention has shifted to improving its operationalisation within organisations. However, few studies have examined practice research’s challenges and opportunities across project conceptualisation, implementation, and dissemination. Even fewer have considered practitioner-researcher and organisational power dynamics, especially in Asia. Using a qualitative exploratory case study approach, we first described the challenges a Singaporean youth work agency faced during conceptualisation, implementation, and dissemination across three practice-research projects. Subsequently, we evaluated how the core practice-research team seized opportunities to address these challenges (i.e. manpower and resourcing, disproportionate researcher influence, sustaining interest internally and externally) and future improvement opportunities (i.e. institutionalise knowledge, build organisational capacity, and examine structural impediments). Implications for practitioners and researchers and effective organisational strategies – internally, externally, and structurally – are discussed. 摘要实践研究的优势在社会工作背景下已得到较多讨论, 研究注意力已开始转向如何改善其在组织内的可操作性。然而, 尤其在亚洲地区、研究者较少探讨实践研究在项目概念化、实施和传播方面存在的挑战和机遇, 对实务工作者-研究者以及组织权力动力方面的探究则更为缺乏。本文运用定性探索性案例研究方法, 首先描述了一间新加坡青年工作机构三个实践研究项目在概念化、实施和传播过程中所面临的挑战。随后, 论文评估了核心团队如何抓住机遇以应对这些挑战 (即人力和资源、研究人员不成比例的影响力、和维持内外部的兴趣), 并探讨未来的改进机会 (即制度化知识、建设组织能力、和考察结构性障碍) 。论文最后讨论了该研究对实务工作者、研究者以及在内部, 外部和结构性方面如何推动有效组织策略的启示。
Criminalized or Stigmatized? An Intersectional Power Analysis of the Charter School Treatment of Black and Latino Boys
(Urban Education, 2024-02-06) Carey, Roderick L.
As scholars account for the disproportional harm adolescent Black and Latino boys face in school, needed are studies that report on more than educator bias. Utilizing interviews and ethnographic observations from an urban charter school, I introduce and deploy the Intersectional School Power Model to illustrate how multiple school processes coalesced to uphold the criminalization of Black boys and stigmatization of Latino boys subtly and acutely. Findings show their (mis)treatment resulted from intersecting power arrangements across four school domains: the structural (e.g., organizational components), cultural (e.g., school norms), disciplinary (e.g., student corrective policies and practices), and interpersonal (e.g., daily interactions).

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