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Social patterning of stress and coping: Does disadvantaged social statuses confer more stress and fewer coping resources?

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  • Meyer, Ilan H.
  • Schwartz, Sharon
  • Frost, David M.

Abstract

Despite its centrality to social stress theory, research on the social patterning of stress exposure and coping resources has been sparse and existing research shows conflicting results. We interviewed 396 gay, lesbian and bisexual, and 128 heterosexual people in New York City to examine variability in exposure to stress related to sexual orientation, gender, and race/ethnicity. Multiple linear regressions showed clear support for the social stress hypothesis with regard to race/ethnic minority status, somewhat mixed support with regard to sexual orientation, and no support with regard to gender. We discuss this lack of parsimony in social stress explanations for health disparities.

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  • Meyer, Ilan H. & Schwartz, Sharon & Frost, David M., 2008. "Social patterning of stress and coping: Does disadvantaged social statuses confer more stress and fewer coping resources?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 67(3), pages 368-379, August.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:67:y:2008:i:3:p:368-379
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    12. Lukachko, Alicia & Hatzenbuehler, Mark L. & Keyes, Katherine M., 2014. "Structural racism and myocardial infarction in the United States," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 42-50.
    13. Sara Esteban-Gonzalo & Laura Esteban-Gonzalo & Verónica Cabanas-Sánchez & Marta Miret & Oscar L. Veiga, 2020. "The Investigation of Gender Differences in Subjective Wellbeing in Children and Adolescents: The UP&DOWN Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(8), pages 1-11, April.
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    16. Duncan, Dustin T. & Ransome, Yusuf & Park, Su Hyun & Jackson, Skyler D. & Kawachi, Ichiro & Branas, Charles C. & Knox, Justin & Al-Ajlouni, Yazan A. & Mountcastle, Hayden & Miles, Caleb H. & Hickson, , 2021. "Neighborhood social cohesion, religious participation and sexual risk behaviors among cisgender black sexual minority men in the southern United States," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 279(C).
    17. Anupam Joya Sharma & Malavika A Subramanyam, 2020. "Psychological wellbeing of middle-aged and older queer men in India: A mixed-methods approach," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(3), pages 1-25, March.
    18. Robillard, Chantal, 2010. "The gendered experience of stigmatization in severe and persistent mental illness in Lima, Peru," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 71(12), pages 2178-2186, December.
    19. Hankivsky, Olena, 2012. "Women’s health, men’s health, and gender and health: Implications of intersectionality," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 74(11), pages 1712-1720.
    20. Schwartz, Joseph A. & Beaver, Kevin M., 2011. "Evidence of a gene × environment interaction between perceived prejudice and MAOA genotype in the prediction of criminal arrests," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 39(5), pages 378-384.
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    22. Matthew Heinz, 2018. "Communicating While Transgender: Apprehension, Loneliness, and Willingness to Communicate in a Canadian Sample," SAGE Open, , vol. 8(2), pages 21582440187, May.

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