Phillips Ii Gregory, Felt Dylan, McCuskey David J, Marro Rachel, Broschart Jacob, Newcomb Michael E, Whitton Sarah W
Department of Medical Social Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States.
Department of Medical Social Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States.
Addict Behav. 2020 Aug;107:106414. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2020.106414. Epub 2020 Mar 28.
Research has documented higher levels of substance use among sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals - particularly sexual minority women (SMW) and transgender people - than among their heterosexual and cisgender peers. Because SGM substance use is linked to stigma-based victimization, it is crucial to identify social contexts that may buffer the association between victimization and substance use among SGM.
We explored how engagement with LGBTQ-specific community influences victimization experiences and substance use among 488 SGM individuals assigned female at birth (FAB-SGM; ages 16-32; 26% White) in a large Midwestern city. We tested whether participants who used LGBTQ community spaces differed from those who do not in levels of victimization and substance use, and whether use of LGBTQ spaces buffered SGM from the negative effects of victimization on substance use.
Results demonstrated significant associations between victimization and alcohol and use of specific drugs. Contrary to expectations, participants who used LGBTQ spaces reported more victimization and more use of certain substances; however, when controlling for being out about non-heterosexual identity, this association remained only for LGBTQ community centers and school groups. Evidence was mixed for community engagement as a moderator of the association between victimization and substance use.
Overall, results indicated that LGBTQ spaces may be associated with adaptive and maladaptive coping functions and should be considered a potential target for health interventions. Findings emphasize the need for increased research on FAB-SGM, including SMW and transgender individuals, and provide actionable recommendations to reduce incidence of victimization and substance use.
研究表明，性取向和性别少数群体（SGM）——尤其是性少数女性（SMW）和跨性别者——的物质使用水平高于异性恋和顺性别同龄人。由于SGM的物质使用与基于污名的受害经历有关，因此识别可能缓冲SGM受害经历与物质使用之间关联的社会环境至关重要。
我们探讨了在中西部一个大城市中，488名出生时被指定为女性的SGM个体（FAB-SGM；年龄16 - 32岁；26%为白人）参与LGBTQ特定社区活动如何影响其受害经历和物质使用情况。我们测试了使用LGBTQ社区空间的参与者与未使用的参与者在受害程度和物质使用水平上是否存在差异，以及使用LGBTQ空间是否能缓冲SGM免受受害经历对物质使用的负面影响。
结果表明受害经历与酒精及特定药物的使用之间存在显著关联。与预期相反，使用LGBTQ空间的参与者报告的受害经历更多，某些物质的使用也更多；然而，在控制了非异性恋身份的公开程度后，这种关联仅在LGBTQ社区中心和学校团体中存在。关于社区参与作为受害经历与物质使用之间关联的调节因素，证据并不一致。
总体而言，结果表明LGBTQ空间可能与适应性和适应不良的应对功能相关，应被视为健康干预的潜在目标。研究结果强调需要加强对FAB-SGM（包括SMW和跨性别个体）的研究，并提供可采取行动的建议以降低受害经历和物质使用的发生率。
