Publications by authors named "Matthew D Skinta"

Sexual and gender minority (SGM) adults face unique challenges in accessing smoking cessation care due to stigma tied to their identities smoking. While cessation apps show promise in the general population, their efficacy for SGM adults is unclear. This study utilized data from a randomized trial to compare two cessation apps, iCanQuit (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy-based) and QuitGuide (US Clinical Practice Guidelines-based) among 403 SGM adults.

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Since Crenshaw coined the term "intersectionality" in 1989, researchers of bias have struggled with how to capture the complexity and intricacies of intersectional identities and microaggressions experienced by individuals holding these identities within the quantitative framework that dominates psychology. Although scholarship has grown in the exploration of experiences such as racialized sexual harassment, or sexual racism within queer and trans communities, there is no strong consensus on how this might be measured systematically in ways that allow for inferences regarding the experiences of populations of interest. With an emphasis on the experiences of queer and trans people of color, this article explores intersectional identities through three main points: First, we define what is meant by intersectionality and the real-world experiences that are important for advancing an understanding of microaggressions; second, we review the existing measures and their ability to capture the breadth and depth of the lived experience of those with intersectional identities; and third, we propose a framework for the development of a more accurate and comprehensive measure of microaggressions.

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Harvard psychiatrist Chester Pierce's conception of "subtle and stunning" daily racial offenses, or microaggressions, remains salient even 50 years after it was introduced. Microaggressions were defined further by Sue and colleagues in 2007, and this construct has found growing utility as the deleterious effects of microaggressions on the health of people of color continues to mount. Many studies seek to frame microaggressions in terms of a taxonomic analysis of offender behavior to inform the assessment of and interventions for the reduction of racial microaggressions.

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Two concepts that describe repetitive thoughts regarding an individual's sexual orientation-sexual orientation rumination and sexual orientation obsessions-have been introduced into the research literature. Despite the fact that these concepts have similarities, important distinctions exist with regard to their theoretical underpinnings, development, and catalyst of stress. As these concepts have never been teased apart in the research literature, understanding how these concepts are similar and different is particularly important.

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Background: Pierce's (The Black seventies: an extending horizon book, 1970) conception of "subtle and stunning" daily racial offenses, or microaggressions, remains salient even 50 years after it was introduced. Microaggressions were defined further by Sue and colleagues (Am Psychol 62:271, 2007), and this construct has found growing utility as the deleterious effects of microaggressions on the health of people of color continues to mount. Microaggressions are common on campuses and contribute to negative social, academic, and mental health outcomes.

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The negative effects of stigma on men living with HIV within gay communities are well-documented. However, few studies have examined the experience of intimacy for men living with HIV as a consequence of the widespread availability of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). This study explores the effect of PrEP adoption on the lives of men living with HIV in one of the first cities that made PrEP widely available, and where adoption had already been in place in treatment trials prior to FDA approval in 2012.

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People living with HIV (PLWH) may experience internalized shame, which has been associated with negative psychosocial outcomes. Some of these psychosocial outcomes also are linked with worsening disease. Self-compassion, however, is the antithesis of internalizing shame, with elements of self-compassion (self-kindness, mindfulness, common humanity) at odds with indicators of internalized shame (negative beliefs about the self, desire to withdraw or avoid emotion, feelings of isolation).

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Despite an overwhelming literature detailing the impact of societal bias on the well-being and relationships of gender and sexual minority clients, as well as greater rates of help-seeking from mental health professionals, recent advances in minority stress research have not been fully incorporated into clinical practice. Minority stress factors such as internalized stigma, rejection sensitivity, and concealment interfere with vulnerable and intimate relationships, and likely contribute to the transdiagnostic challenges that GSM clients report, such as loneliness and social isolation (Mereish & Poteat, 2015). Further, behavioral patterns emphasizing inauthentic self-presentation are common interpersonal styles of stigma management (Pachankis & Hatzenbuehler, 2013).

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Objective: People living with HIV (PLWH) commonly report sleep disturbances which are associated with long-term health consequences, including disease progression. PLWH also experience internalised stigma as a result of their HIV status, which can be associated with increased loneliness and depression. Little attention focuses on the impact of these factors on sleep.

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HIV-related disclosure concerns are associated with higher rates of concealment and poorer well-being, including poorer health related HIV quality of life (HIV-QOL). Little research, however, has examined whether gender differences exist in the links between HIV disclosure concerns and HIV-QOL. We expected that disclosure concerns and gender would be associated with HIV-QOL, such that the relationship between disclosure concerns and poorer HIV-QOL to be stronger in women living with HIV (WLWH) than in men living with HIV (MLWH).

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Experiencing growth after the diagnosis of a life threatening illness is commonly reported among people living with HIV (PLWH). The links between benefit finding and better adjustment in PLWH have been identified, but it is less clear whether these links vary by ethnicity. Minority stress theory suggests that individuals from minority populations may have unique stress experiences, which can have negative health implications but may also provide opportunity for growth.

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Objective: HIV-related stigma is a major driver of poor prognosis for the treatment and reduced spread of HIV. The present article provides a qualitative analysis surrounding various themes related to stigma and shame as a result HIV.

Design: Eight gay men recruited from a community HIV clinic contacted the researchers in response to a study involving participation in a structured, eight-week group intervention for HIV-related stigma.

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