11 Facts About Minority stress

Minority stress describes high levels of stress faced by members of stigmatized minority groups.

Minority stress theory summarizes these scientific studies to explain how difficult social situations lead to chronic stress and poor health among minority individuals.

Minority stress theory extends the social causation hypothesis by suggesting that social situations do not lead directly to poor health for minority individuals, but that difficult social situations cause stress for minority individuals, which accrues over time, resulting in long-term health deficits.

Distal stress processes are external to the minority individual, including experiences with rejection, prejudice, and discrimination.

Proximal stress processes are internal, and are often the byproduct of distal stressors; they include concealment of one's minority identity, vigilance and anxiety about prejudice, and negative feelings about one's own minority group.

Bulk of minority stress research has examined the third tenet of the theory – namely, that distal and proximal stressors are associated with adverse health outcomes for minority individuals.

Again, studies have yet to systematically determine whether minority stress is associated with different health outcomes among different minority groups.

Minority stress theory was originally developed to explain associations between social situations, stress, and health for LGB individuals.

Systematic comparisons are necessary to clarify whether minority stress applies to all minority individuals broadly, or whether different models are required for different groups.

Minority stress research has demonstrated that several specific processes are associated with minority health disparities.

For example, evidence that prejudice is associated with minority stress has been used in several amicus curiae briefs to settle important court cases regarding prejudice and discrimination against minority groups.