Minority Stress: Causes, Outcomes and Treatment Options

America recently experienced its highest spike in hate crimes in over a decade. Mental health issues linked to minority stress, however, are not contingent on the occurrence of a prejudice-motivated crime. Being part of a stigmatized group creates its own hurdles, and in many cases, a person can face serious risks even when they don’t encounter hate-fueled violence.

At Transformations Treatment Center, our staff of certified professionals understands that everyone’s experience is different. Genetics and biology predispose some people to mental health issues and substance abuse disorders. Minority stress linked to stigmatization and marginalization, however, can create these problems in otherwise healthy individuals.

If you’re facing anxiety, depression or other issues linked to prejudice, contact us today to learn how we can help you take control of your life.

What Is Minority Stress?

While some people claim that discrimination and prejudice in America no longer exist, this idea is ridiculous on its face. Targeted hate crimes have increased dramatically in recent years, and during COVID-19 lockdowns, one-third of LGBTQ teens didn’t even feel safe in their own homes. The high levels of stress caused by these issues has a name: minority stress.

It’s not just members of the LGBTQ community, though, that face these unique stressors. Members of minority religions, ethnicities, racial backgrounds and other groups deal with similar issues. The stigmatization faced by these individuals causes high levels of stress. Over time, this can be detrimental to both mental and physical health.

There are three key factors involved in minority stress:

Unique: Not everyone experiences this type of stress. Going on a blind date, for instance, has the potential to cause stress for anyone. Fearing your date might discover your religious background, however, is unique.
Chronic: Individuals from stigmatized groups face chronic stress. Unlike going home from work and leaving that stress behind, there’s no reprieve from prejudicial societal and cultural structures.
Socially Based: An individual’s stress doesn’t stem from their race, gender or sexual orientation. They’re stressed because of the societal and institutional views that deem those traits as negative.

These factors of minority stress can harm a person’s mental health, but the physical outcomes often prove just as detrimental. These can include high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, digestive issues, memory problems and many other unhealthy issues. We can see this in data that shows African Americans and LGBTQ men both facing increased risks of high blood pressure.

It’s a depressing reality, but many people experience unhealthy stress reactions based on who they are. Prejudice and hate — both on individual and societal scales — often proves detrimental for stigmatized groups. If you need help to cope because of stressors linked to discriminatory social constructs, Transformations Treatment Center may be able to help.

What Causes Minority Stress?

It’s easy to blame society for the increased stress faced by minority groups. On a larger scale, this assertion is 100% accurate. To better understand the causes and what these people are going through, though, it’s necessary to pinpoint issues on an individual level. The following non-societal factors all play significant roles in the development of minority stress:

First-hand experience of prejudice
Expectations of rejection
Poor social support systems
Internalized hate (e.g., homophobia)
Concealing one’s true self (e.g., staying “in the closet”)
Low socioeconomic status
Attempts at mitigating coping strategies

Each of these factors can relate directly to being part of a stigmatized group. Not everyone within these groups, however, will face the same health outcomes. LGBTQ teens who have just one supportive family member, for instance, have a 40% lower risk of suicide than those without support. It all boils down to that single factor: support.

If you’re not getting this in your life, and it’s leading to minority stress, it’s important to reach out for professional help.

Minority Stress Mental Health Issues

The stress faced by stigmatized and marginalized groups is neither temporary nor negligible. It doesn’t simply consist of getting stressed when going to parties. The anxiety, self-hate, fear and other issues frequently lead to diagnosable mental health disorders. The following conditions are just a few of the most commonly seen by psychiatrists and researchers:

Anxiety disorders
Depression
Substance abuse disorders
Suicidal ideation
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Social phobias or avoidance
Obsessive compulsive disorder

These mental health issues are only the tip of the iceberg. Various chronic mental health disorders have direct causal relationships with minority stress. Fortunately, psychiatric issues are treatable regardless of their underlying causes. Anyone who has developed an unhealthy mental or emotional problem due to stigmatization can find help.

Treatment Options

Several treatments have proven effective at dealing with conditions linked to minority stress. Not every useful therapy, however, will prove effective for everyone. People experience stress and mental disorders in unique ways, and this means their individual treatment needs will differ. This is why Transformations Treatment Center offers a variety of therapeutic approaches.

These are just a few of the programs we offer:

Behavioral therapies (e.g., CBT)
Individual, group and family therapy
Peer-support groups
LGBTQIA+ focused treatment
Faith-based treatment programs
Treatment of co-occurring disorders
Neurotherapy
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing

Each of these therapeutic approaches has shown success in treating anxiety, depression, substance abuse and many other mental health disorders. We may not have the ability to single-handedly end the root cause of minority stress, but at Transformations Treatment Center, we can help you deal with the aftermath and learn improved coping skills.

No matter how bad you feel it’s gotten, always remember that you’re not alone.

Minority Stress Doesn’t Have to Control You

No person should have to face discrimination, marginalization or other negative outcomes because of who they are. And while society at large has developed a more accepting attitude of everyone, there’s no denying that prejudice still exists. Unfortunately, innocent people will continue to experience minority stress due to this unwarranted ignorance.

Transformations Treatment Center offers an accepting environment for all who seek help. Even when mental health disorders and substance abuse issues stem from prejudice, they’re still treatable conditions at their core. This means you don’t have to face these difficulties on your own. If you want help, it’s here for the taking.

Contact us today to learn about the individualized treatment plans in our diverse and accepting programs. It’s time to regain control of your life.

Sources

Department of Justice
https://www.justice.gov/hatecrimes/hate-crime-statistics

American Psychological Association
https://www.apa.org/pi/aids/resources/exchange/2012/04/minority-stress

Psychological Bulletin Journal
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2072932/

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
https://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/programs/geh/climatechange/health_impacts/mental_health/index.cfm