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Minority stressors, rumination, and psychological distress in monozygotic twins discordant for sexual minority status
Liadh Timmins 
,
Katharine A. Rimes,
Qazi Rahman
,
Katharine A. Rimes,
Qazi Rahman
Psychological Medicine, Volume: 48, Issue: 10, Pages: 1705 - 1712
Swansea University Author:
Liadh Timmins
Full text not available from this repository: check for access using links below.
DOI (Published version): 10.1017/s003329171700321x
Abstract
Background: Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals report higher levels of depression and anxiety than heterosexual people. Genetic factors may be a ‘common cause’ of sexual minority status and psychological distress. Alternatively, these may be correlated because of non-genetic environmental...
| Published in: | Psychological Medicine |
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| ISSN: | 0033-2917 1469-8978 |
| Published: |
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
2018
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| Online Access: |
Check full text
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| URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa64179 |
| Abstract: |
Background: Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals report higher levels of depression and anxiety than heterosexual people. Genetic factors may be a ‘common cause’ of sexual minority status and psychological distress. Alternatively, these may be correlated because of non-genetic environmental factors (e.g. minority stressors). This study investigated minority stressors and distress in monozygotic twins discordant for sexual minority status. This design provides a test of the role of non-shared environmental factors while minimizing differences due to genetics. Methods: Thirty-eight twin pairs in which one was heterosexual and the other was LGB completed a survey. Differences between twin pairs in minority stressors, rumination, psychological distress, and gender non-conformity were examined. Associations between these variables were also tested. Results: Although there were no significant group differences for distress, LGB twins had higher rumination, a vulnerability factor for distress, than heterosexual co-twins. LGB twins also had higher scores than heterosexual co-twins on expectations of rejection, active concealment, self-stigma, prejudice events, childhood gender non-conformity, and lower scores on sexual orientation disclosure. Differences between twin pairs in rumination were positively associated with differences in acceptance concerns and self-stigma. Finally, self-stigma was positively associated with rumination in the full sample of heterosexual co-twins and microaggressions were positively associated with rumination when looking at exclusively heterosexual co-twins. Conclusions: These results support environmental factors as a causal explanation for disparities in rumination between LGB and heterosexual individuals. These factors likely include minority stressors. Rumination may also be associated with minority stressors in heterosexual MZ co-twins of LGB individuals. |
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| Keywords: |
Sexual orientation, twins, genetics, distress, rumination, minority stress, non-shared environment |
| College: |
Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences |
| Issue: |
10 |
| Start Page: |
1705 |
| End Page: |
1712 |