Report

Minority Stress Experiences and Psychological Well-Being

The impact of support from and connection to social networks within the Los Angeles House and Ball communities
August 2013

This report illustrates the impact minority stress has on the psychological well-being of African American young men who have sex with men from the House and Ball communities. It appeared in Prevention Science in February 2013.

AUTHORS
  • Carolyn F. Wong
    Assistant Professor, Keck School of Medicine of USC
  • Sheree M. Schrager
    Managing Director, Research and Sponsored Programs, California State University, Northridge
  • Ian W. Holloway
    Associate Professor and Chair of the Doctoral Program, UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs
  • Ilan H. Meyer
    Distinguished Senior Scholar of Public Policy
  • Michele D. Kipke
    Professor of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine of the USC
Highlights
The House and Ball community is a unique community with its own set of social structures, rules, and cultural practices.
Support from and connection to social networks buffer the effects of minority stress on the psychological well-being of community members.
Distress levels of men who did not identify as gay were lower than men who identified as gay regardless of social connection.
Minority Stress Experiences and Psychological Well-Being