The more internalized queerphobia, perceived stigma, and prejudice events that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals encounter means they are also more likely to smoke.
This is according to a study – “The Effect of Minority Stress Processes on Smoking for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Individuals: A Systematic Review” by Mirandy Li, Kelly Chau, Kaitlyn Calabresi, Yuzhi Wang, et al – that appeared in LGBT Health.
Generally, LGBTQ individuals are already more likely to smoke than non-LGBTQ individuals, according to the researchers, who noted that smoking has been posited as a coping mechanism for LGBTQ individuals facing minority stress. And yet “the exact relationship between minority stress and smoking behaviors among LGBTQ individuals is unclear,” they added, so that they wanted to do a systematic review to “examine how minority stress processes are associated with smoking behaviors for LGBTQ individuals.”
For this study, searches of the PubMed and PsycINFO databases were conducted for smoking-, LGBTQ-, and minority stress-related terms. No date, geographic, or language limits were used. For inclusion, the study must have: (1) been written in English, (2) had an LGBTQ group as the study population or a component of the study population, (3) assessed the cigarette smoking status of participants, and (4) assessed at least one minority stress-related process (internalized stigma, perceived stigma, or prejudice events).
The final review included 44 articles. And aside from two outlier studies, all of the reviewed studies exhibited that increased levels of minority stress processes (internalized queerphobia, perceived stigma, and prejudice events) were associated with increased probability of cigarette use in LGBTQ individuals.
Increased minority stress was also associated with greater psychological distress/mental health decline.
According to the researchers, “minority stress processes represent a contributing factor to smoking health disparities in LGBTQ populations.” As such, there is a “need for smoking cessation and prevention programs to address minority stress and improve smoking disparities in these populations.”
