(PS9-71) The Relationship Between Threat Stress Appraisal and Rejection Sensitivity for LGBTQ+ Teens: Minority Stress as a Moderator

Background: LGBTQ+ individuals report higher rates of rejection sensitivity, or expectations of social exclusion and dismissal, compared to their cisgender and heterosexual peers (Clark et al., 2024). Researchers have suggested that this effect may be due to how LGBTQ+ individuals often exist within social contexts that are unaccepting of their identities, and rejection sensitivity may be a protective mechanism for detecting threatening situations (Clark et al., 2024; Downey at al., 1998). LGBTQ+ teens are particularly vulnerable to developing rejection sensitivity given the minority stress they may experience in addition to general developmental stressors during this life stage (Baams et al., 2020). Current research emphasizes the need to understand individual differences in the appraisal of stressors, and how this perception is related to rejection sensitivity (Feinstein, 2020). Individuals who tend to have more threatening stress appraisals, or evaluations that stressors are harmful to wellbeing, may have a more heightened sense of rejection sensitivity. Additionally, this relationship may also be influenced by the amount of minority stressors an individual experiences. If one experiences more minority stress, it is possible that perceived threats might heighten rejection sensitivity to a greater degree, perhaps to be on alert to protect oneself from more harms. This study examined whether minority stress influences the relationship between threat stress appraisals and rejection sensitivity in a sample of LGBTQ+ teens.

Method: Participants were recruited from local community organizations and LGBTQ+ events in the Mid-Atlantic region. The final sample included 65 participants ages 14-18 years old (M = 15.48; SD = 1.15). The sample was racially diverse where 45% of participants identified with a racial and ethnic minority group and 55% identified as non-Hispanic White. Additionally, 62% of participants identified as gender diverse and 37% of participants identified as cisgender. Regarding sexual orientation, 29% of participants identified as monosexual, 59% identified as plurisexual, and 12% identified as asexual. Participants completed a baseline survey that asked them about their mental health (Children’s Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire), stress appraisals (Stress Appraisal Measure for Adolescents), and experiences of everyday minority stress.

Results and Conclusion: Multiple regression analyses were conducted to test the moderating effect of minority stress on the association between threat stress appraisal and rejection sensitivity. These regressions controlled for age, sex assigned at birth, gender identity, sexual orientation, and race/ethnicity. There were significant main effects of minority stress and threat stress appraisal predicting rejection sensitivity. There was a significant interaction effect such that individuals who reported high levels of minority stress had a stronger and more positive relationship between threat stress appraisal and rejection sensitivity, as compared with individuals who reported low levels of minority stress. Future research is needed to better understand how to empower individuals with minority stress to manage the demands of various stressors.