Support and connection among members of the House and Ball community: Impact on minority stress and psychological well-being

Background: African American young men who have sex with men (AAYMSM) from the House and Ball community are at high risk for HIV infection. Using Minority Stress Theory as a framework, the current study illustrates the impact minority stress has on the psychological well-being of MSM members from the House and Ball community in Los Angeles, a majority of whom are of African American descent and between the ages of 17 to 25. We also examine characteristics of their social networks and investigate how these factors affect the relationship between minority stress and psychological well-being.

Method: Surveys were administered to House and Ball community members over the course of a year, which included questions about participants' social and sexual networks. Structural equation modeling estimated a model that examined the associations between minority stressors, support, connection to social network, and psychological well-being/distress among MSM participants (N=233).

Results: Results indicate significant associations between different sources of minority stress, including distal minority stress (e.g., racism, homophobia), gay or other same-sex sexual identification, and internalized homophobia. Minority stressors are in turn significantly associated with greater psychological distress. However, greater instrumental support significantly reduced the effects of distal stress on distress. Connection to one's social network also significantly reduced stress associated with gay or other same-sex sexual identification on distress.

Conclusion: Findings describe the minority stress experiences of MSM from the House and Ball community and illustrate how support and connection to their social networks can reduce the impact of minority stress on psychological distress.