Minority stress and sleep disturbance: How does anxiety mediate the relationship between stress and sleep for a sample of sexual minority men?
Introduction There is growing evidence that sexual minority men (e.g., gay, bisexual) experience lower sleep quality when compared to their heterosexual peers. Minority stress (e.g., discrimination, victimization) may account for these differences, however little is known about these relationships...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2022-06-01
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| Series: | European Psychiatry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933822020892/type/journal_article |
| _version_ | 1797617185024114688 |
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| author | J. Gibbs R. Fusco |
| author_facet | J. Gibbs R. Fusco |
| author_sort | J. Gibbs |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Introduction
There is growing evidence that sexual minority men (e.g., gay, bisexual) experience lower sleep quality when compared to their heterosexual peers. Minority stress (e.g., discrimination, victimization) may account for these differences, however little is known about these relationships and how generalized anxiety may play a role in sleep disturbance.
Objectives
Therefore, the aims of this study are to (a) understand the relationship between minority stress and sleep disturbance in a sample of sexual minority men, and (b) test whether these relationships are mediated by generalized anxiety.
Methods
In 2020, 241 sexual minority men were recruited across a south-eastern state in the USA. Participants were asked to respond to scales assessing perceived social stress, minority stress constructs (i.e., internalized homophobia, experiences of harassment, microaggressions), generalized anxiety, and sleep disturbance. Linear regressions were used to test the relationship between minority stress and sleep disturbance controlling for perceived social stress and to test mediation by generalized anxiety.
Results
Two minority stress constructs (experiences of harassment, and microaggressions) and perceived social stress were found to have a positive relationship with sleep disturbance. Generalized anxiety symptoms fully mediated the relationship between minority stress and sleep disturbance.
Conclusions
Because sleep quality has a profound impact on health, findings from this study suggest the need for psychological intervention to improve sleep for sexual minority men. Given that generalized anxiety fully mediates the relationship between minority stress and sleep, targeted anxiety-based interventions have the potential to reduce sleep disturbance disparities between heterosexual and sexual minority men.
Disclosure
No significant relationships.
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| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T07:52:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2b1cd65d3e3c43eabfc39a2a70e688d5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0924-9338 1778-3585 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T07:52:17Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-2b1cd65d3e3c43eabfc39a2a70e688d52023-11-17T05:06:29ZengCambridge University PressEuropean Psychiatry0924-93381778-35852022-06-0165S807S80810.1192/j.eurpsy.2022.2089Minority stress and sleep disturbance: How does anxiety mediate the relationship between stress and sleep for a sample of sexual minority men?J. Gibbs0R. Fusco1University of Georgia, School Of Social Work, Athens, United States of AmericaUniversity of Georgia, School Of Social Work, Athens, United States of America Introduction There is growing evidence that sexual minority men (e.g., gay, bisexual) experience lower sleep quality when compared to their heterosexual peers. Minority stress (e.g., discrimination, victimization) may account for these differences, however little is known about these relationships and how generalized anxiety may play a role in sleep disturbance. Objectives Therefore, the aims of this study are to (a) understand the relationship between minority stress and sleep disturbance in a sample of sexual minority men, and (b) test whether these relationships are mediated by generalized anxiety. Methods In 2020, 241 sexual minority men were recruited across a south-eastern state in the USA. Participants were asked to respond to scales assessing perceived social stress, minority stress constructs (i.e., internalized homophobia, experiences of harassment, microaggressions), generalized anxiety, and sleep disturbance. Linear regressions were used to test the relationship between minority stress and sleep disturbance controlling for perceived social stress and to test mediation by generalized anxiety. Results Two minority stress constructs (experiences of harassment, and microaggressions) and perceived social stress were found to have a positive relationship with sleep disturbance. Generalized anxiety symptoms fully mediated the relationship between minority stress and sleep disturbance. Conclusions Because sleep quality has a profound impact on health, findings from this study suggest the need for psychological intervention to improve sleep for sexual minority men. Given that generalized anxiety fully mediates the relationship between minority stress and sleep, targeted anxiety-based interventions have the potential to reduce sleep disturbance disparities between heterosexual and sexual minority men. Disclosure No significant relationships. https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933822020892/type/journal_articleAnxietySexual MinoritySleep DisturbanceMinority Stress |
| spellingShingle | J. Gibbs R. Fusco Minority stress and sleep disturbance: How does anxiety mediate the relationship between stress and sleep for a sample of sexual minority men? European Psychiatry Anxiety Sexual Minority Sleep Disturbance Minority Stress |
| title | Minority stress and sleep disturbance: How does anxiety mediate the relationship between stress and sleep for a sample of sexual minority men? |
| title_full | Minority stress and sleep disturbance: How does anxiety mediate the relationship between stress and sleep for a sample of sexual minority men? |
| title_fullStr | Minority stress and sleep disturbance: How does anxiety mediate the relationship between stress and sleep for a sample of sexual minority men? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Minority stress and sleep disturbance: How does anxiety mediate the relationship between stress and sleep for a sample of sexual minority men? |
| title_short | Minority stress and sleep disturbance: How does anxiety mediate the relationship between stress and sleep for a sample of sexual minority men? |
| title_sort | minority stress and sleep disturbance how does anxiety mediate the relationship between stress and sleep for a sample of sexual minority men |
| topic | Anxiety Sexual Minority Sleep Disturbance Minority Stress |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933822020892/type/journal_article |
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