Socioeconomic Status and Psychosocial Resources Mediate Racial/Ethnic Differences in Psychological Health Among Gay and Bisexual Men: A Longitudinal Analysis Using Structural Equation Modeling

Public Deposited
Analytics

Downloadable Content

Download PDF
Request Version for Screen Reader
Creator
  • Masa, R.
    • Affiliation: School of Social Work
  • Shangani, S.
    • Other Affiliation: Old Dominion University
  • Operario, D.
    • Other Affiliation: Brown University
Abstract
  • A large body of research demonstrates disparities in psychological health attributed to sexual minority identity, racial/ethnic minority identity, and socioeconomic status (SES). Fewer studies have explicated the role of these multiple attributes on psychological health and explored the role of SES and psychosocial resources in determining outcomes. We analyzed data from Project STRIDE, a longitudinal survey involving a diverse sample of gay and bisexual adult men (n = 198). Using structural equation modeling, we tested hypothesized direct and indirect effects of race/ethnicity, SES, and three psychosocial mediational variables (collective self-efficacy, everyday discrimination, internalized homophobia) on two outcome variables—psychological and social well-being—assessed at 1-year follow-up. Our model indicated that: (1) race/ethnicity and SES were significantly associated with each other and with each psychosocial mediator; (2) higher SES was directly and indirectly associated with both measures of well-being; and (3) collective self-esteem and everyday discrimination mediated the association between SES and both measures of well-being. The model also indicated that racial/ethnic associations with psychological mediators and outcomes are evident in the context of SES, but these effects might be suppressed when the model does not consider SES. Findings highlight the critical role of SES and race/ethnicity in determining the psychological and social well-being of sexual minority men. Specification of mediating variables—collective self-efficacy, everyday discrimination, internalized homophobia—indicates potential intervention targets to improve psychological and social health in sexual minority men. Associations between race/ethnicity and SES support the need for intersectional frameworks in addressing the health of sexual minority men.
Date of publication
Keyword
DOI
Identifier
Resource type
  • Article
Rights statement
  • In Copyright
License
  • Attribution 4.0 International
Journal title
  • American Journal of Men's Health
Journal volume
  • 15
Journal issue
  • 2
Language
  • English
Version
  • Publisher
ISSN
  • 1557-9883
Publisher
  • SAGE Publications Inc.

Relations

Parents:

This work has no parents.

In Collection:

Items

Thumbnail Title Date Uploaded Visibility Actions
file details 15579883211001197.pdf 2022-02-08 Public Download