Abstract

To test the validity of a modified Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) for studying stress reactivity in sexual minority women. Two hundred seventy-four female participants (66.4% Black American), half of whom identified as lesbian/gay or bisexual and half as heterosexual, completed the TSST with instructions to describe an experience of discrimination. Cortisol levels and negative emotion scores increased, and heart rate variability decreased in response to the TSST, and the magnitude of these responses varied as a function of sexual orientation and race. Women who discussed sexual orientation as a source of discrimination had greater increases in cortisol and negative mood following the TSST. The modified instructions did not compromise the validity of the TSST. Prompting participants to discuss specific sources of discrimination may be a useful adaptation of the TSST in studying minority stress reactivity.

• SUMMARY

• The goal of the present study was to adapt a widely used measure of stress reactivity to study the impact of experiences with discrimination on biological systems involved in regulating the stress response. The modification included asking women to discuss a time when they had been treated unfairly and to describe how they responded to that experience. The magnitude of response to the task varied as a function of sexual orientation and race, and the topics discussed, demonstrating usefulness of the modification for studying the impact of discrimination stress of physical health.

摘要

测试修改后的特里尔社会压力测试 (TSST) 的有效性，用于研究性少数女性的压力反应。274 名女性参与者（66.4% 的美国黑人）完成了 TSST，并附有描述歧视经历的说明，其中一半是女同性恋/男同性恋或双性恋，另一半是异性恋。皮质醇水平和负面情绪评分增加，心率变异性随着 TSST 的反应而降低，并且这些反应的程度随着性取向和种族的不同而变化。将性取向视为歧视来源的女性在 TSST 后皮质醇和负面情绪的增加幅度更大。修改后的说明并未损害 TSST 的有效性。

• 概括

• 本研究的目标是采用一种广泛使用的应激反应措施来研究歧视经验对参与调节应激反应的生物系统的影响。修改包括要求女性讨论她们受到不公平对待的时间，并描述她们如何应对这种经历。对任务的反应程度因性取向和种族以及所讨论的主题而异，证明了修改对研究歧视压力对身体健康的影响的有用性。