David Matthew Doyle | University of Exeter (original) (raw)

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Some past work indicates that sexual minorities may experience impairments in social health, or t... more Some past work indicates that sexual minorities may experience impairments in social health, or the perceived and actual availability and quality of one's social relationships, relative to heterosexuals; however, research has been limited in many ways. Furthermore, it is important to investigate etiolog-ical factors that may be associated with these disparities, such as self-reported discrimination. The current work tested whether sexual minority adults in the United States reported less positive social health (i.e., loneliness, friendship strain, familial strain, and social capital) relative to heterosexuals and whether self-reported discrimination accounted for these disparities. Participants for the current study (N = 579) were recruited via Ama-zon's Mechanical Turk, including 365 self-identified hetero-sexuals (105 women) and 214 sexual minorities (103 women). Consistent with hypotheses, sexual minorities reported impaired social health relative to heterosexuals, with divergent patterns emerging by sexual orientation subgroup (which were generally consistent across sexes). Additionally, self-reported discrimination accounted for disparities across three of four indicators of social health. These findings suggest that sexual minorities may face obstacles related to prejudice and discrimination that impair the functioning of their relationships and overall social health. Moreover, because social health is closely related to psychological and physical health, remediating disparities in social relationships may be necessary to address other health disparities based upon sexual orientation. Expanding upon these results, implications for efforts to build resilience among sexual minorities are discussed.

Work on structural stigma shows how public policy affects health outcomes for members of devalued... more Work on structural stigma shows how public policy affects health outcomes for members of devalued groups, including sexual minorities. In the current research, structural stigma is proposed as a moderating variable that strengthens deleterious associations between perceived discrimination and social relationship functioning. Hypotheses were tested in two cross-sectional studies, including both online (N = 214; Study 1) and community (N = 94; Study 2) samples of sexual minority men and women residing throughout the United States. Structural stigma was coded from policy related to sexual minority rights within each state. Confirming hypotheses, support for the moderating role of structural stigma was found via multilevel models across studies. Specifically, associations between perceived discrimination and friendship strain, loneliness (Study 1) and familial strain (Study 2) were increased for those who resided in states with greater levels of structural stigma and attenuated for those who resided in states with lesser levels. In Study 1, these results were robust to state-level covariates (conservatism and religiosity), but conservatism emerged as a significant moderator in lieu of structural stigma in Study 2. Results are discussed in the context of the shifting landscape of public policy related to sexual minority rights within the United States.

Although sexuality is a central feature that distinguishes nonheterosexual men from heterosexual ... more Although sexuality is a central feature that distinguishes nonheterosexual men from heterosexual men, little is known about how sexual orientation influences male sexual function and sexual problems. This presents a challenge for adequate healthcare for gay and bisexual men. Aim. The aim of this article is to provide an overview of the literature on the prevalence and correlates of sexual health disturbances among heterosexual and nonheterosexual men. Methods. PubMed and PsycINFO databases were searched for relevant studies published in English. Reference sections of selected papers were checked for additional studies of interest. Main Outcome Measures. Main outcomes were comparative findings of the prevalence and correlates of sexual health disturbances in heterosexual and nonheterosexual men. Results. In total, we found nine studies of interest, five of which used a comparative design. Evidence regarding sexual orientation as a risk factor for male sexual difficulties is mixed, with more recent studies reporting nonsignificant associations. Heterogeneity of sampling strategies and indicators used to assess sexual orientation and sexual function in the studies, as well as the use of relatively small subsamples of nonheterosexual participants, preclude any conclusions about a comparative prevalence of male sexual disturbances. Several studies suggested that rapid ejaculation might be more prevalent among heterosexual than nonheterosexual men. However, a single study that controlled for frequency and patterns of male sexual activity failed to corroborate this finding. Two studies reported similar correlates of sexual dysfunction and sexual problems between heterosexual and nonheterosexual men (e.g., age and depression/anxiety symptoms), but also some sexual orientation-specific correlates (e.g., body image). Finally, significant but weak associations between minority stressors and sexual health disturbances among nonheterosexual men were reported in two studies.

Researchers have suggested that sexual minority men are at increased risk for body image disturba... more Researchers have suggested that sexual minority men are at increased risk for body image disturbance relative to heterosexual men because of heightened focus on appearance within the gay community. However, this research has often assumed sexual minority men endorse a monolithic body ideal, despite evidence for different ideals within the gay community. The current survey research in a communitybased sample of 76 sexual minority men examined how the effect of identification with the gay community on body image varied depending upon the body type of the participant and the form of body image disturbance (i.e., desire to be smaller vs. desire for greater muscularity). For relatively heavier sexual minority men, gay community identification was associated with less body dissatisfaction but potentially more drive for muscularity. For relatively thinner sexual minority men, the pattern was reversed. The results point to a need for a more nuanced examination of the role that varying body ideals within the gay community may have on body image disturbance.

Approaching the inverse association between perceived discrimination and close relationship funct... more Approaching the inverse association between perceived discrimination and close relationship functioning from a stress and coping framework, we propose and test a novel model incorporating psychological (emotion dysregulation) and physiological (chronic inflammation) pathways. Analyses of data from a sample of African American participants (N = 592) enrolled in the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study revealed support for the proposed model. Specifically, results from structural equation modeling analyses showed that perceived discrimination was indirectly associated with increased emotion dysregulation (venting and denial) through stressor appraisals and directly associated with increased inflammation (interluekin-6, e-selectin and c-reactive protein). Furthermore, relationship strain with family, friends and spouses was associated with greater levels of emotion dysregulation and chronic inflammation. Overall, the proposed model fit the data well and provides support for new avenues of research on the social, psychological and physiological correlates of perceived discrimination and close relationship functioning. To conclude, evidence for the proposed biopsychosocial model is summarized and directions for future research on these topics are discussed.

Research is beginning to reveal negative effects of perceived discrimination on romantic relation... more Research is beginning to reveal negative effects of perceived discrimination on romantic relationship quality among members of devalued groups, yet potential mechanisms driving these effects remain underexplored. In the current work, we examined the mediating role of self-image. Data from two cross-sectional studies with samples composed of racial minorities (Study 1) and sexual minorities (Study 2) provided support for a model, whereby the negative association between perceived discrimination and romantic relationship quality is partially mediated by impaired self-image. As proposed, results from bootstrapping analyses revealed significant indirect effects of perceived discrimination on relationship quality through self-image. Implications of social identity threats for the romantic relationships and families of members of stigmatized groups are discussed along with other potential mechanisms.

National data on romantic relationships reveal a prominent gap between members of devalued and do... more National data on romantic relationships reveal a prominent gap between members of devalued and dominant groups in the United States, with devalued group members experiencing less positive relationship outcomes. However, little research examines how social stigma affects relationship quality for members of devalued groups and moderating factors have generally not been explored in the literature. In the current studies, we experimentally examined the effects of social stigma on relationship quality among women (Study 1) and African Americans (Study 2) as well as whether these effects differed based upon relationship length (Studies 1 and 2). Results showed that individuals involved in shorter relationships reported lesser relationship quality after social stigma was made salient, while those involved in longer relationships reported somewhat greater relationship quality after social stigma was made salient. Implications for future research on social stigma and relationship quality as well as moderating factors are discussed.

Gay men regularly experience both individual and structural prejudice and discrimination, which h... more Gay men regularly experience both individual and structural prejudice and discrimination, which have been shown to negatively impact well-being. The current study examined the potentially protective role of behavioural identification, a dimension of group identity, as a mediator of the relationship between perceived discrimination and well-being among gay men. The results revealed that behavioural identification mediated a positive indirect relationship between perceived discrimination and self-esteem, suppressing the negative association between these two variables. A similar pattern of results was obtained for positive affect. Implications of these results with regard to public policies targeting gay men are addressed.

Objectification theory proposes that women are especially vulnerable to eating disordered behavio... more Objectification theory proposes that women are especially vulnerable to eating disordered behavior when they live in cultures in which their bodies are a constant focus of evaluation. The current study examined whether predictions of objectification theory involving the associations among sexual objectification, body surveillance, body shame, and eating disordered behavior were supported in groups that varied by both gender and sexual orientation. Adults from a U.S. community sample in the Chicago area (92 heterosexual women; 102 heterosexual men; 87 gay men; and 99 lesbian women) completed self-report measures of these constructs. Results suggest that group differences in experiences of sexual objectification and body surveillance may partially explain gender and sexual orientation-based differences in eating disordered behavior.