Minority Stress, Cultural Values, and Physiological Responses to Social Stress Among Young Chinese Sexual-Minority Men

• In Event: 3-039 - The Adjustment of Young East Asian Sexual-Minority Individuals: A Focus on Family and Culture

Integrative Statement

Physical and mental health disparities between sexual minorities and heterosexual individuals have been well documented in Western countries (Institute of Medicine, 2011), partly resulting from minority stress experienced by sexual minorities (Meyer, 2003). Stress factors, particularly social evaluative stressors and chronic stressors may “get under the skin” by influencing autonomic nervous system (ANS) functioning (Austin et al., 2018). However, studies on stress responses among sexual minorities are still scarce, particularly in non-Western countries. The current study compared childhood and current stress and health outcomes among young Chinese sexual-minority men and young heterosexual men and women. We also examined the associations between stress factors and stress reactivity and regulation among young sexual-minority men. Finally, we investigated whether these relations were moderated by Chinese cultural values, including family orientation (respect for family, current assistance, and future support) and Zhongyong thinking (Confucius interpersonal style with emphasis on interpersonal harmony and connection).

We recruited 239 (mean age = 26.82 years, ranges from 21-30 years old) young adults living and working in Shanghai, China. The final sample included 72 sexual-minority men, 97 heterosexual women, and 70 heterosexual men. Among sexual-minority men, 55 identified as gay, 10 bisexual, and 7 unsure. Participants were invited to a laboratory to take part in the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) while their electrocardiography and respiration data were recorded. Scores of respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA, an indicator of ANS functioning) reactivity from baseline (resting state) to TSST speech phase and RSA recovery from speech to recovery phase were computed for sexual minorities (data processing is ongoing for other physiological indicators and for heterosexuals). Participants also completed a questionnaire concerning adverse childhood experience, current day-to-day discrimination, perceived stress, family orientation, and Zhongyong thinking, physical health problems, and depressive symptoms.

ANOVA revealed that sexual-minority men reported significantly lower levels of family orientation, higher levels of current day-to-day discrimination and depressive symptoms, and higher levels of childhood sexual abuse and emotional neglect compared to both heterosexual men and women. They also reported significantly higher levels of physical and emotional abuse in childhood compared to heterosexual females. There were no significant differences in current physical health, perceived stress, or Zhongyong thinking. Regression analyses found that day-to-day discrimination and perceived stress were associated with heightened RSA reactivity during TSST speech phase, after controlling for participant age and perceived social economic status. Further, childhood parental emotional abuse was related to heightened RSA reactivity among participants who scored low in Zhongyong thinking and was also linked to lower RSA recovery among participants who scored low in family orientation.

These findings suggest that Chinese sexual-minority men had more adverse experiences in childhood and are experiencing more current stress and depressive symptoms comparing to heterosexuals. Current stress is associated with heightened responses to acute social stress, whereas childhood adverse experiences, particularly emotional abuse predicted heightened and sustained physiological responses. Finally, holding higher levels of cultural values such as family orientation and Zhongyong thinking seems to protect sexual-minority men from dysregulated physiological responses to social stress.

Authors

• Lixian Cui, New York University – Shanghai
  Presenting Author

• Gu Li, University of British Columbia
  Non-Presenting Author

• Jingwei Xu, East China Normal University
  Non-Presenting Author