Question

What is minority stress? How does this impact health? How does minority stress affect LGB people?

How might minority stress apply to the transgender and gender non-conforming population?

Answer 1

Minority stress is the high levels of stress faced by the stigmatized minority group members. It is caused due to poor social support and low socioeconomic status.
This stress causes high blood pressure, anxiety, poor mental and physical health. There is an increase rates of substance abuse, suicide attempts, depression, anxiety. They are also at risk for some types of cancer and immune dysfunction. Long term stress causes cardiovascular disease, asthma, diabetes, some cancers and eating disorders.
LBG individuals face higher rates of suicide, substance abuse and cancer relative to heterosexual. Most of the LGB individual do not suffer psychopathological conditions. They report higher rates of prejudice and discrimination throughout their life span like social rejection at school, housing discrimination and employment discrimination. They have experienced prejudice about their sexual orientation like to conceal their sexual identity to others. Doing so causes significant psychological distress intrusive thoughts about the secret, shame, guilt, anxiety and isolation from others, homophobia, self hatred and poor self regard.