Emotional changes following discrimination induction in gender- and sexuality-diverse adolescents.

Sexual and gender minority (SGM)-identifying adolescents are particularly vulnerable to negative psychological outcomes, including engagement in nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). However, little is known about why these relationships exist. We used experimental methods to test the psychological mediation framework in an online sample of 328 adolescents who reported female sex at birth and a range of sexual and gender identities. Participants reported on depressive symptoms, self-criticism (both self-report and implicit), NSSI, and discrimination. They also completed a discrimination-based mood induction to test emotional reactivity. At baseline, SGM participants reported higher levels of implicit and self-reported self-criticism, depressive symptoms, discrimination, and higher rates of NSSI compared with cisgender, heterosexual participants (ps < .03). Following the discrimination induction, SGM-identifying participants exhibited larger emotional reactivity compared with cisgender heterosexual participants, as measured by change in negative mood, F(1, 326) = 7.33, p = .01, ηp2 = .02, and state self-criticism, F(1, 326) = 4.67, p = .03, ηp2 = .014, but not implicit affect toward the self. This effect was associated with baseline depressive symptoms, self-criticism, NSSI history, and discrimination. Post hoc analyses revealed that participants who tended to reframe experiences of discrimination as opportunities for growth exhibited attenuated emotional reactivity to the induction; findings remained significant after adjusting for SGM status and event severity (ps < .001). Results indicate that adolescents identifying as SGM may experience elevated psychological distress compared with their cisgender heterosexual peers and that stigma-related stressors may increase emotion dysregulation and maladaptive cognitive styles, paralleling previously proposed psychological mediation models. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Longitudinal predictors of self-injurious thoughts and behaviors in sexual and gender minority adolescents.

Sexual and gender minority (SGM) populations are at increased risk for several negative psychological outcomes, including self-injury. Although correlates of self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITBs) have been identified, it is unclear which factors are prospective predictors of SITB engagement in SGM youth. The current study investigated an online sample of 252 SGM adolescents over a 6-month period. Participants reported attitudes based on SGM identity, depression, self-criticism, body image, family support and family strain, friend NSSI engagement, and experiences of everyday discrimination. Lasso and elastic net regularized logistic regressions were used to examine which baseline variables were associated with SITB engagement at follow-up. Models resulted in excellent predictive accuracy of nonsuicidal self-injury and suicidal ideation (mean Area Under the Receiving Operating Characteristics Curve [AUC] of 0.90 and 0.91), good predictive accuracy for suicide plans (mean AUC = 0.85), and fair predictive accuracy for suicidal behaviors (mean AUC = 0.78). Several variables emerged as prospectively related to SITB risk, with varied associations across different SITBs. Results suggest that minority-specific factors may predict SITBs in SGM adolescents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Identity confusion in complicated grief: A closer look.

Complicated grief (CG) is characterized by a wide range of symptoms, including identity confusion or a sense that a part of oneself has died with the decedent. Although identity confusion is a commonly reported feature of CG, little is known about which specific aspects of self-concept are compromised. In the current study, we used qualitative coding methods to investigate which aspects of the sense of self differed between those with and without CG in a sample of 77 bereaved adults. Relative to individuals without CG, those with CG provided fewer descriptors of their self-concept overall (lower self-fluency), provided sets of descriptors that consisted of fewer categories (lower self-diversity), and had lower proportions of self-relevant preferences and activities. However, group differences were not observed for proportions of any other categories of self-concept descriptors, including references to the loss, the past, or distress-related self-statements. Directions for future research and clinical implications are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

"Identity confusion in complicated grief: A closer look": Correction.

Reports an error in "Identity confusion in complicated grief: A closer look" by Benjamin W. Bellet, Nicole J. LeBlanc, Marie-Christine Nizzi, Mikaela L. Carter, Florentine H. S. van der Does, Jacqueline Peters, Donald J. Robinaugh and Richard J. McNally (Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 2020[May], Vol 129[4], 397-407). In the original article, the following acknowledgment of funding was missing from the author note: "Donald J. Robinaugh's work on this article was supported by federal funding from the National Institute of Mental Health (Grant 1K23MH113805-01A1; principal investigator: Donald J. Robinaugh)." The online version of this article has been corrected. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2020-23551-001). Complicated grief (CG) is characterized by a wide range of symptoms, including identity confusion or a sense that a part of oneself has died with the decedent. Although identity confusion is a commonly reported feature of CG, little is known about which specific aspects of self-concept are compromised. In the current study, we used qualitative coding methods to investigate which aspects of the sense of self differed between those with and without CG in a sample of 77 bereaved adults. Relative to individuals without CG, those with CG provided fewer descriptors of their self-concept overall (lower self-fluency), provided sets of descriptors that consisted of fewer categories (lower self-diversity), and had lower proportions of self-relevant preferences and activities. However, group differences were not observed for proportions of any other categories of self-concept descriptors, including references to the loss, the past, or distress-related self-statements. Directions for future research and clinical implications are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).