Hazardous Substance Use Among Sexual and Gender Minority Adults: A Deeper Look Into Distal Minority Stressors

Discrimination and victimization drive health disparities among sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals, yet little is known about the relative impacts of specific experience types on hazardous substance use. Using data from 704 SGM adults, we examined SGM-related discrimination versus victimization and specific experiences as predictors of hazardous substance use. SGM-related victimization, not discrimination, predicted hazardous substance use, and SGM-related sexual assault and harassment predicted hazardous alcohol use, although only sexual assault predicted hazardous drug use. These findings implicate lifetime SGM-related victimization, and SGM-related sexual assault and harassment specifically, as key correlates of recent hazardous substance use among SGM adults. Public Significance StatementIn a sample of sexual and gender minority (SGM) adults, we found that experiencing victimization motivated by a person's SGM identity was connected to hazardous substance use. Results also linked experiencing SGM-related sexual assault and harassment to hazardous alcohol use and SGM-related sexual assault to hazardous drug use. These findings highlight the connection between sexual assault and harassment to hazardous substance use and underscore the need for further research and intervention development.