Relations between interpersonal microaggressions, depressive symptoms, and pet attachment in an LGBTQ + emerging adult sample

Abstract

Exposure to microaggressions can have detrimental impacts on the mental health of LGBTQ + emerging adults. Positive social relationships are a well-documented protective factor that help to buffer the impact of adversity on mental health in this population. However, the role of social relationships with pets has received minimal attention in research on LGBTQ + mental health, despite the high prevalence of pets in U.S. households. This cross-sectional study examined whether the association between interpersonal microaggressions and depressive symptoms among LGBTQ + emerging adults varied as a function of attachment to pets across three domains: love, emotion regulation, and personal growth. We recruited 163 LGBTQ + emerging adults (18-21 years) who lived with a cat and/or dog within the past year (98.8% sexual minority, 47.2% gender minority, 37.4% racial/ethnic minority). We found that love and emotion regulation significantly moderated the positive association between interpersonal microaggressions and depressive symptoms. Specifically, this association was only significant when love and emotion regulation were at moderate or high levels. These findings have important implications for practice with LGBTQ + pet owners, as it suggests that high levels of pet attachment may amplify the relation between interpersonal microaggressions and depressive symptoms.

Keywords:

• Microaggressions
• pets
• depression
• mental health
• LGBTQ+

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Angela Matijczak

Angela Matijczak is a second-year PhD student at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Social Work. Angela earned her Bachelor of Arts in psychology, with a double minor in sociology and Latin American studies, from the University of New Haven in 2017. They then worked as a lab manager for two years at the Innovative Interactions Lab at Yale University. At VCU, Angela served as a project coordinator for a collaborative study with Richmond SCAN (Stop Child Abuse Now) on childhood exposure to animal cruelty and the LGBTQ + Youth Supports Study that investigated stressors and supports experienced by LGBTQ + youth and young adults. Angela’s research focuses on risk and protective factors for LGBTQ + youth. She is particularly interested in the relationships between LGBTQ + youth and their family members. Additionally, they are also interested in the role of pets in the lives of LGBTQ + youth and how pets may be used to facilitate more identity-affirming relationships between LGBTQ + youth and their caregivers.

Camie Tomlinson

Camie Tomlinson is a doctoral candidate at VCU School of Social Work. She received her Bachelor of Social Work and Master of Social Work degrees from North Carolina State University. Camie worked as a graduate research assistant at the North Carolina State University Center for Family and Community Engagement during her master’s program. Prior to beginning doctoral studies, Camie worked as an adoption social worker within a North Carolina county department of social services. Informed by her practice experience, Camie’s research interests include promoting the psychosocial development of youth who are or have been in foster care. Her current research focuses on identifying risk and protective factors (e.g. marginalized identity, social support, human-animal interaction) that impact the relation between childhood adversity and psychosocial outcomes, and the mechanisms through which adversity shapes development throughout childhood and into adulthood.

An Pham

An Pham is an Assistant Professor at Virginia Commonwealth within the Adolescent Medicine Division. She completed her pediatric residency at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles and her Adolescent Medicine fellowship at Seattle Children’s Hospital. While in Seattle, she also completed a Masters in Public Health at the University of Washington. Her clinical expertise is holistic gender-affirming medical care for transgender and gender non-conforming adolescents. Her research focuses on risk and protective factors of transgender and gender non-conforming adolescents with a specific interest in disordered eating among this population.

Rosalie Corona

Rosalie Corona is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University. Dr. Corona’s research focuses on health promotion and risk reduction in Latinx and African American families. Her research progressed from an initial focus on identifying local health disparities and the risk and protective factors associated with health disparities, to the development, implementation, and evaluation of family-based prevention programs to address health disparities. Dr. Corona’s work bridges multiple disciplines and incorporates observational methods, semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and surveys.

Shelby McDonald

Shelby McDonald is Director of Research in the Department of Strategy and Research at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA®). They are also an affiliate faculty member with the VCU Department of Psychology and School of Social Work, where they were previously employed as a tenured associate professor. Dr. McDonald’s research centers on the role of human-animal interaction in human health and wellbeing. They also conduct research on access to veterinary care and supportive services in underserved and systemically marginalized populations and communities. Their research has been funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and Human-Animal Bond Research Initiative. Dr. McDonald’s research findings have been translated into recommendations for domestic violence policies and services, mental health professionals, veterinary professionals, and animal welfare organizations.