What does minority stress theory suggest about the experiences of marginalized groups?

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

The question asks about what minority stress theory suggests regarding the experiences of marginalized groups. Since the provided answer options are not listed, we will focus on the single given option to analyze its accuracy and implications.
Option C states: 'Marginalized groups experience unique and chronic stressors due to stigma, discrimination, and social disadvantage, which negatively impact their mental and physical health.'
This framing aligns with the core tenets of minority stress theory. The theory posits that members of stigmatized groups face additional, chronic stressors that arise specifically from the social dynamics of stigma, such as anticipation of discrimination, vigilance for threat, concealment of identity, and internalized stigma. These stress processes are distinct from general life stress because they are tied to minority status and social inequities, and they persist over time rather than being occasional.
From a mechanism standpoint, the theory explains how these distal (external events like prejudice and discrimination) and proximal (internal processes like internalized stigma and expectations of rejection) stressors can accumulate, leading to higher risk for adverse mental health outcomes, such as depression and anxiety, and can also contribute to physical health disparities via pathways like allostatic load and unhealthy coping.
In contrast, if we were to evaluate potential misconceptions, option statements that suggest stress is unrelated to minority status, or that only internal factors matter, would fail to capture the social-ecological and chronic nature of minority stress proposed by the theory. They would overlook how structural stigma and sustained social disadvantage uniquely shape health trajectories for marginalized groups.
To summarize, the essence of minority stress theory is that stigma-related, chronic stressors arising from social disadvantage produce downstream mental and physical health effects for marginalized populations, which is precisely what option C conveys.

PSC 150V 001 WQ 2025 Lecture Quiz 11 - Relationship Diversity

What does minority stress theory suggest about the experiences of marginalized groups?

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