E-Diaries to Assess Health Effects of Microaggressions

Bostwick | Hequembourg | Hughes | Santuzzi
The study tracked the frequency and types of microaggressions experienced by racially diverse bisexual women and examined their effects on participants’ mental health.

Health disparities among lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) persons across the lifespan are increasingly well-documented, yet gaps remain in our basic understanding of the health status, behaviors, and outcomes within LGB groups. Specifically, bisexual women tend to fare the worst on a majority of health outcomes, with the most consistent and pronounced disparities in mental health. A potentially important area of investigation pertains to the unique identity-based stressors associated with a bisexual identity. Minority stressors at the daily-level, known as microaggressions, may be more common among bisexual women and may explain health disparities among this group. This study used daily process measures, in the form of electronic diaries (EDs), over a four-week period, to study the effect of microaggressions on bisexual women’s daily mental health. Qualitative interviews were also conducted. In addition, researchers considered lifetime stressors that may potentiate deleterious effects of microaggressions on daily health and lifetime mental health.

Principal Investigator
Wendy Bostwick, PhD
Northern Illinois University

Co-Investigators
Amy Hequembourg, PhD
Research Institute on Addictions

Tonda Hughes, PhD
University of Illinois at Chicago

Alecia Santuzzi, PhD
Northern Illinois University

Funding Agency
National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)

Grant Number
R21-MD009585

Dates
2015-2018