People of color who also belong to sexual and gender minority groups face unique challenges shaped by overlapping forms of discrimination. While much research has focused on the mental health risks they face, much less has explored how people of these multiple identities build strength and resilience.
New research by Aldo Barrita at Michigan State University’s Department of Psychology fills that gap. The study, published in American Psychologist, found that affirming one’s identity can be a source of psychological strength, not just a vulnerability.
Using a national sample of 418 sexual- and gender-diverse people of color, the study focused on two key dimensions of identity affirmation, including identity coherence and identity-based growth.
Identity coherence is the sense that different aspects of who you are he is in shape together in a meaningful way. Identity-based growth, in contrast, reflects the process of developing a deeper understanding of ourselves through navigating experiences of marginalization.
The researchers found that both identity coherence and identity-based growth were positively related to resilience and negatively related to depressive symptoms. This suggests that the stronger coherence one has with their intersectional identities, the more protected they will be in the face of adversity.
“These findings challenge the tendency in research to focus on risk and harm when examining the experiences of marginalized communities,” said Barrita, who co-led the study and of the dean research associate at the Department of Psychology. “These findings suggest that identity itself can be a source of protection and empowerment. It functions as an active form of resistance against systemic oppression.”
While identity-based growth also supported resilience, the findings also showed an unexpected direct association with higher depressive symptoms.
There is significant emotional labor that comes with developing a sense of self under conditions of systemic discrimination. The burden of resilience should not fall solely on marginalized people. This study shows that growth through oppression comes at a cost.”
Aldo Barrita, Department of Psychology, Michigan State University
The findings have practical implications for clinicians and community organizations.
By creating affirming spaces where sexual and gender diverse people of color can explore and celebrate their identities, and by developing therapeutic approaches that target identity coherence and identity-based growth, clinicians and organizations can help foster resilience and enhance the mental health of these individuals.
“Clinicians and community leaders have an opportunity to help sexual and gender diverse people of color heal oppression and replace oppressive narratives with liberating narratives of cohesion and growth and build resilience,” Barrita said.
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