Knowra Minority stress Minority stress Minority stress is chronic stress arising from stigma, discrimination, and social exclusion experienced by marginalized groups. It includes external stressors and the ongoing effort of anticipating or managing stigma.
Distal and proximal stressors : Distal stressors are external events such as discrimination; proximal stressors are internal processes such as stigma expectations. This distinction explains how hostile conditions and their internal consequences jointly produce minority stress.
Ilan H. Meyer : Ilan H. Meyer is a social scientist whose research developed influential models of minority stress, especially in relation to sexual minorities. His 2003 model synthesized stress processes specific to sexual-minority populations.
LGBTQ health : LGBTQ health is the study and practice of health care concerning lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer populations. Minority-stress research has especially shaped explanations of health disparities affecting LGBTQ populations.
Weathering hypothesis : The weathering hypothesis proposes that repeated social and economic adversity accelerates health deterioration among marginalized populations. It parallels minority-stress accounts of cumulative exposure while emphasizing population-level health effects.
Intersectionality : Intersectionality analyzes how overlapping systems of power shape distinct social positions and experiences. It challenges models that treat each marginalized identity or stress exposure in isolation.
Rejection sensitivity : Rejection sensitivity is a tendency to anxiously expect, readily perceive, and strongly react to rejection. Anticipated rejection can keep stress active even when no discriminatory event is occurring.
Social stress theory : Social stress theory explains how social structures and relationships expose people to stressors that affect health. Minority stress extends this broader account by specifying stressors linked to stigmatized status.
Mental health disparities : Mental health disparities are systematic differences in mental health outcomes or care across social groups. The framework links stigma exposure to unequal burdens of anxiety, depression, and other outcomes.
HPA axis : The hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis is a hormonal system that coordinates many physiological responses to stress. Prolonged stress may alter HPA-axis activity, a pathway studied in stigma-related health research.
Minority stress measurement : Minority stress measurement concerns tools and methods for assessing stigma-related exposures, expectations, and internal processes. Measures must distinguish exposure from responses and work across identities and cultural settings.
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