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Effects Of Discrimination And Minority Stress

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Discrimination and Minority Stress As stated earlier previous studies have reported decreased resilience among LGBA+ populations, however, it is important to note that identifying, as LGBA+ does not inherently cause the distress that is the source of poorer levels of mental health and resilience. Instead, it is a reaction the previously stated statistics representing shocking levels of exposure to discrimination, which also take the form of microaggressions. Micro-aggressions are aimed at minority groups and are a form of assault that can exist in a variety of forms either verbal or nonverbal, as well as be intentional or unintentional on behalf of the perpetrator. Microaggressions have previously been linked to increased mental health difficulties in the form of increased anxiety in African American University Students (Smith, Allen, & Danley, 2007). As individuals worldwide of multiple ethnicities, ages, religiosity, and able-bodiedness may identify as LGBA+, taking into account, this intersectionality and how it impacts on resilience is necessary to our understanding of LGBA+ populations. An individual who identifies both as a sexual minority and as an ethnic minority may have the effects of such discrimination and micro-aggressions compounded resulting in overall poorer resilience as the stressors experienced an increase (Balsam, Molina, Beadnell, Simoni, & Walters, 2011). The Intersectionality between ethnicity and sexual identity also has a clear impact on social

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