In 2015, we invited recent Growing Up Today Study responders (N=13,340) to complete a questionnaire assessing lifetime and current substance involvement, past 12-month probable substance use disorders based on DSM-IV criteria, and substance use treatment histories (response rate of 73%, N=9,683). More information about the cohort is available elsewhere ( 32, 33). They complete paper or Web-based questionnaires covering a variety of health-related domains annually or biennially. ![]() Participants in the cohort are children of nurses enrolled in the Nurses’ Health Study II. longitudinal cohort, the Growing Up Today Study this study originally enrolled participants in 1996 or 2004 (N=27,805). This study qualitatively examined narratives from LGBTQ-identified young adults about their substance use initiation, escalation, and use in adolescence and young adulthood vis-à-vis their LGBTQ identities.ĭata were collected between 20 from participants in an ongoing, U.S. This research is needed to understand youth substance use initiation and escalation, how these processes contribute to the development of substance use disorders, and effective substance use disorder prevention strategies ( 24, 30, 31). Bars frequented by LGBTQ people may be especially relevant, because such establishments offer “paradoxical space” for community building and high levels of substance use and other risky behaviors ( 26, 27), contributing to substance use and other health disparities ( 24, 28, 29).įew studies have qualitatively examined relationships between experiences of LGBTQ-related stressors, substance use, and sociocultural influences in adolescence and young adulthood. Sociocultural influences, such as more permissive substance use norms ( 21, 22) in the LGBTQ community and targeting of LGBTQ people by alcohol and tobacco companies ( 23– 25), also contribute to substance use disorders among LGBTQ people. For example, adolescents who employ avoidant coping strategies (e.g., substance use) in response to LGBTQ-related stressors experience more stress ( 18), lower self-esteem and life satisfaction ( 19), and lower educational attainment ( 20), compared with those who employ more healthful coping strategies. How youths cope with LGBTQ-related stressors during identity development may shape substance use disorders in adulthood. LGBTQ youths initiate substance use earlier and escalate use more rapidly than their non-LGBTQ peers ( 14– 17). ![]() Emerging from research on racial minority stressors and health ( 12, 13), minority stress theory identifies proximal (i.e., intrapersonal) and distal (i.e., interpersonal and structural) stressors experienced by LGBTQ individuals, such as self-stigma and discrimination, as determinants of health.Īlthough minority stress theory describes how stress and coping shape health among LGBTQ individuals, it does not provide a nuanced perspective on why some LGBTQ people develop substance use disorders, whereas most do not. These disparities have been predominantly explained by minority stress theory, which posits that LGBTQ-related stressors shape negative mental health outcomes and associated coping behaviors, including substance use ( 8– 11). Youths and young adults who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) or as other sexual and gender minorities experience disparities in substance use and disorders ( 1– 7).
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