Anna C. Salomaa’s research while affiliated with VA Long Beach Healthcare System and other places

Research has demonstrated that lay beliefs about emotions (i.e., whether they are viewed as malleable or fixed) may shape important outcomes in educational performance. Given the prominent role of emotions in learning and goal setting, the present study examined whether emotion beliefs moderated (1) the relationship between the experience of academic emotions and grades and (2) the relationship between academic emotions and shifts in goal setting. Undergraduate students (N =329) enrolled in an introductory psychology course reported on their emotions and goal orientations across two waves of data collection which took place before and after their first two exams. Multiple regression analyses revealed that emotion beliefs moderated the relationship between academic emotions and changes in goal orientation across the semester. Specifically, greater experience of negative outcome-related emotions was associated with decreases in mastery- and performance-avoidance goal orientations among individuals who tended to view emotions as more malleable. On the other hand, for students who felt their emotions were more fixed, change in avoidance goals was not influenced by negative outcome emotions. Our results point to the added benefit in students viewing emotions as malleable, as this perspective may lead to students disengaging less with course material (i.e., decreasing avoidance goal orientations) after learning experiences marked by negative emotions. Overall, our findings provide preliminary support for the inclusion of emotion beliefs in models of academic achievement.

Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) individuals are disproportionately exposed to traumatic and high-impact minority stressors, which can produce an array of transdiagnostic symptoms. Some clinical presentations align well with established evidence-based treatments, but others may require patient-centered modifications or combined approaches to address treatment needs. In this study, we used a novel, bottom-up approach to derive insights into preferred intervention strategies for a broad range of trauma- and TGD-minority stress-related expressions of clinical distress. Participants (18 TGD individuals and 16 providers) completed a q-sort task by first sorting cards featuring traumatic experiences and/or minority stressors and transdiagnostic psychiatric symptoms into groups based on perceived similarity. Next, participants sorted interventions they believed to be most relevant for addressing these concerns/symptoms. We overlaid networks of stressors and symptoms with intervention networks to evaluate preferred intervention strategies. TGD networks revealed transdiagnostic clustering of intervention strategies and uniquely positioned the expectancy of future harm as a traumatic stressor. Provider networks were more granular in structure; both groups surprisingly emphasized the role of self-defense as an intervention. While both networks had high overlap, their discrepancies highlight patient perspectives that practical, material, and structural changes should occur alongside traditional clinical interventions.

Objective: Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) people are at heightened risk of both Criterion A trauma exposure and other bias-related minority stressors (e.g., discrimination, rejection). In the absence of a unified trauma-minority stress theory, it remains unclear how to best conceptualize psychopathology for people who experience both trauma and minority stress. Method: Using a participant-driven q-sort methodology and network analytic approach, we analyzed card sort data from 18 TGD people and 16 providers with expertise in TGD care to derive thematic networks of trauma and minority stress experiences, as they connected to transdiagnostic symptoms (e.g., hyperarousal, avoidance). Results: The TGD participants' resulting network illustrates conceptualizations of identity- and nonidentity-based Criterion A traumas as similar and only related to psychiatric symptoms via the shared connection through other minority stressors. The provider network was more granular, although the general pattern was consistent with TGD participants, demonstrating similar perceptions of how these experiences are associated. Conclusions: Evidence of inextricable links between trauma and psychiatric symptoms through the conduit of minority stressors lays the groundwork for novel, integrated models of trauma, minority stress, and their transdiagnostic symptom sequelae. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

The social category label effect describes how labels influence people’s perceptions of social groups. Though the label “homosexual” versus “lesbian/gay” decreases some heterosexual people’s support for sexual minorities, it is unknown how lesbian and gay (LG) people respond to “homosexual” as a label used to describe them. Across three experiments in a largely U.S. context (Total N = 831), we examined how use of “homosexual” influenced people’s responses on psychological instruments, preferences for demographic questions, and evaluations of individuals who use “homosexual.” The use of different labels in psychological measures did not influence LG people’s responses (Study 1). However, LG people reacted less positively to “homosexual” compared to “lesbian/gay” in demographic questions and in interpersonal exchanges (Studies 2-3), whereas heterosexual people’s reactions were largely unaffected (Study 2). LG people’s more negative reactions to “homosexual” than “lesbian/gay” were partially explained by them perceiving the “homosexual” label user as less culturally competent (i.e., less inclusive, less engaged in LGBTQ activism). In this article, we make progress in new empirical territory (sexual orientation-based cues research), propose the notion of linguistic heterosexism, and discuss the sociopolitical implications of people’s language choices.

Background Sexual minority women (i.e., women minoritized for their sexualities) are identified as high risk for mental health and substance use problems; however, there is no consensus on the criteria by which women are categorized as sexual minority. Though there is some evidence suggesting that certain subgroups of women are at higher risk than others based on sexual orientation, different categorization schemes for sexual orientation have yet to be compared within the same sample. Method Using data from the National Epidemiologic Survey of Alcohol and Related Conditions–III (N = 19,528), we examined how multiple categorization schemes (i.e., identity, behavior, recency of sexual behavior) for categorizing women who have sex with women (WSW) yield different estimates of prevalence of mental health and substance use issues. We used chi-square and logistic regression to analyze the link between sexual orientation categorization schemes and health, categorizing by 1) self-identification only, 2) behavior only, and 3) the combination of self-identification and behavior (recent vs. past). Results We discovered high prevalence rates of health problems among heterosexual-identified WSW who reported no recent sexual activity with women (i.e., previously had sex with women but not within the past 12 months); this category of women comprised 35% of all WSW. Discussion Step by step, we found more detailed information about these women's experiences by moving to the complex categorization scheme (the combination of self-identification and behavior). Heterosexual-identified women who have had sex with women in their past (though not recently) presented as a large group with high prevalence rates of substance use and mental disorders. These women remain invisible to researchers who categorize sexual orientation only by sexual identity or by behavior and ignore the role of behavior change over time—imprecisely categorizing such women as heterosexual or as women who have sex with men. They thus are underserved by health research and represent a significant population for further study and intervention.

The social category label effect describes how labels influence people’s perceptions of social groups. Though the label “homosexual” versus “lesbian/gay” decreases some heterosexual people’s support for sexual minorities, it is unknown how lesbian and gay (LG) people respond to “homosexual” as a label used to describe them. Across three experiments in a largely U.S. context (N=831), we examined how use of “homosexual” influenced people’s responses on psychological instruments, preferences for demographic questions, and evaluations of individuals who use “homosexual.” The use of different labels in psychological measures did not influence LG people’s responses (Study 1). However, LG people reacted less positively to “homosexual” compared to “lesbian/gay” in demographic questions and in interpersonal exchanges (Studies 2-3), whereas heterosexual people’s reactions were largely unaffected. LG people’s more negative reactions to “homosexual” than “lesbian/gay” were partially explained by them perceiving the “homosexual” label user as less culturally competent (i.e., less inclusive, less engaged in LGBTQ activism). In this article, we make progress in new empirical territory (sexual orientation-based cues research), propose the notion of linguistic heterosexism, and discuss the sociopolitical implications of people’s language choices.

Sexual minority (SM) health disparities constitute a serious public health concern, and disparities in mental health are among the most striking. Among a nationally-representative sample (NESARC-III) of US adults (aged 18-66), we used time-varying effects models (TVEM) to estimate the age-varying prevalences of past year major depressive episode (pyMDE) and generalized anxiety disorder (pyGAD) by SM status and biological sex. pyMDE and pyGAD were most common among SM women, followed by SM men, heterosexual women, and heterosexual men. pyMDE was highest among SM women and SM men in early adulthood with a second peak in the mid-50s (women)and around age 40 (men). pyGAD was highest among SM women aged 54-60 and among SM men aged 30-33. Our findings reveal that older adulthood may be a time of increased risk for pyMDE and pyGAD among SM women. Future work should explore factors that contribute to this increased risk.

The Social Category Label Effect describes how labels used to categorize a social group can influence how people feel about that group (Rios, 2013; Crawford et al., 2016). Previous research has found that exposure to the label “homosexual” versus “lesbian and gay” caused heterosexual individuals to feel less support for LGBTQ policy and more negative attitudes toward same-sex sexuality. Given historical and medical connotations of homosexuality (i.e., previously recognized as a mental disorder), we predicted that lesbian and gay people would also be affected by homosexual language. Across two online studies with lesbian- and gay-identified participants, we examined how homosexual language affected (1) self-reported psychological well-being (e.g., internalized homophobia) and (2) preference for demographic questions that do or do not use homosexual labels. Implications for the use of “homosexual” in health care settings and academic research will be discussed. Further, we address stigma of homosexuality in light of intergenerational responses.

In this article, we review basic research on sexual orientation for a clinical scientist–practitioner audience. We present contemporary and evolving approaches to defining and measuring sexual orientation, and we provide suggestions for how to translate psychological theory into best practices (i.e., how to select appropriate sexuality measures in both research and clinical settings). Our focus is on evaluating currently available measures of sexual orientation in terms of comprehensiveness and feasibility: How thoroughly are components of sexuality captured and how feasible it is to use such measures in research and clinical settings? Basic research in sexuality has progressed beyond our current clinical practices and should be used as a guide to more responsibly conceptualize participants and clients. While we determine that the current options are far from perfect, the critical clinician will find that contemporary measures of sexual orientation prove more useful than more simplistic predecessors. This review will elucidate best strategies for translating sexual orientation research and theory into clinical practice and provide clinicians and researchers alike with theoretically grounded support for tools of measurement and assessment.