Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich 8050, Switzerland.
Department of Psychology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2024 Jul 30;121(31):e2400582121. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2400582121. Epub 2024 Jul 23.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex, and queer (LGBTIQ+) individuals encounter persistent structural inequalities and discrimination that can lead to detrimental psychological and physiological health outcomes. Amid evolving legal landscapes, little attention has been directed toward understanding the physiological health effects of societal shifts on these communities. This study aims to explore the impact of a national marriage equality vote and associated debates on psychological and biological stress among LGBTIQ+ individuals and cisgender, heterosexual, endosex individuals (termed cis-heterosexual) in Switzerland. We gathered longitudinal survey and biological data collected in hair samples among LGBTIQ+ and cis-heterosexual individuals before, during, and after the 2021 national vote (survey data: = 954; = 880; biological data: = 393; = 354). Preregistered analyses reveal a notable increase in biological stress levels (i.e., cortisol and cortisone levels), but not perceived stress, among both LGBTIQ+ as well as cis-heterosexual individuals who were close to them during the campaign. Results further point out the negative impacts of the campaign against marriage equality (i.e., no-campaign) on LGBTIQ+ individuals' biological stress levels as well as on those of their allies. These effects were, however, moderated by exposure to the campaign for marriage equality (i.e., yes-campaign), indicating the powerful buffering effects of the yes-campaign on the impact of discrimination on individuals' health. However, these positive effects appear to come at a cost, potentially impacting the well-being of individuals engaged in advocating for the yes-campaign. This research underscores the lasting impact of political campaigns on individuals' health.
女同性恋、男同性恋、双性恋、跨性别、间性人和酷儿（LGBTIQ+）个体面临持续的结构性不平等和歧视，这可能导致他们的身心健康受到不利影响。在法律环境不断变化的情况下，人们很少关注社会变革对这些群体的生理健康影响。本研究旨在探讨瑞士全国婚姻平等投票及其相关辩论对 LGBTIQ+个体和顺性别、异性恋、内性别（称为顺性别异性恋）个体的心理和生物压力的影响。我们收集了 LGBTIQ+和顺性别异性恋个体在 2021 年全国投票之前、期间和之后的纵向调查和生物数据，这些数据来自头发样本（调查数据：=954；=880；生物数据：=393；=354）。预先注册的分析表明，在竞选期间，LGBTIQ+和顺性别异性恋个体的生物压力水平（即皮质醇和皮质酮水平）显著升高，但感知压力没有升高。结果进一步指出，反对婚姻平等的运动（即无运动）对 LGBTIQ+个体的生物压力水平以及他们盟友的生物压力水平产生了负面影响。然而，这些影响受到婚姻平等运动（即有运动）的调节，表明有运动对歧视对个体健康的影响具有强大的缓冲作用。然而，这些积极影响似乎是有代价的，可能会影响参与倡导有运动的个体的幸福感。这项研究强调了政治运动对个人健康的持久影响。
