Minority Stress and Coping Among Sexual Minority First Year College Students
The transition from high school to college can be filled with anxiety for late adolescents as they encounter new social and academic experiences. Research suggests first year college students may be at increased risk for psychopathology and suicidal ideation, and 30-40% leave college during their first year because of difficulties with the transition (Pratt, 2000). While studies have examined the first year college experience, no studies have explored the influence of sexual orientation on this transition. Research in this area is critical because lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) adolescents face higher risk of mental health problems than heterosexual adolescents (Marshall et al., 2011). Studies indicate that LGB college students are also likely to experience harassment, hostility, and “incivility” (Woodford et al., 2013). Thus, we explored the role of minority stress and coping among LGB adolescents transitioning from high school to college.
Methods:
In fall 2013, we asked second year college students at a large Northeastern university to reflect on their first year experience. Qualitative focus groups followed a semi-structured interview guide based on Meyer’s (2003) minority stress model and included questions about prejudice events, stigma, internalized homophobia, concealment, and coping. Eligible participants had to be at least 18-years-old, identify as LGB, queer, or gender non-conforming, and have recently completed their first year of college. We recruited participants through flyers posted in campus centers and announcements posted on a listserv. Twenty-one students (11 female, 10 male), all 19- or 20-years-old, participated in one of three focus groups. Participants identified their sexual orientation as bisexual (n=9), gay (n=7), lesbian (n=3), queer (n=1), and gender non-conforming (n=1). Focus groups were ethnically diverse; participants identified as African American, Asian, Hispanic, White, and Middle Eastern. Students participated in a 120-minute focus group, which were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. The authors coded the transcripts following the principles of grounded theory (Strauss & Corbin, 1994). Coding of the narratives was completed in an iterative process between the authors to identify emerging themes, which were organized into a trajectory to describe the process involved in the college transition.
Results:
Analysis revealed several themes in the participants’ college transition: preparing and anticipating, navigating and testing, experiencing marginalization, and coping with challenges. Participants described the challenges involved in most college situations; however, identifying as a sexual minority created an additional burden. Participants experienced verbal harassment, heard homophobic comments, and had anxiety about being rejected by roommates. Participants employed a range of coping strategies to manage these stressors, including joining LGB-related organizations, feeling proud of their identity, and disclosing when they felt safe. While most coping strategies were adaptive, some were less adaptive (e.g., isolation and substance use).
Implications:
Findings indicate LGB first year college students must tackle multiple challenges simultaneously: the developmental task of increased independence and LGB-specific challenges including managing disclosure and acknowledging one’s stigmatized status. Despite these challenges, the participants manifested extraordinary ability to cope and adapt. Data suggest that colleges should develop programs and policies to promote the adjustment of first year sexual minority students.