The effects of multiple forms of minority stress on stress neurobiology and psychological health
A primary area of research conducted in the ARC focuses on the effects of various forms of discrimination on the body’s biological stress processes and psychological health. Specifically, we focus on how heterosexism, cissexism, and racism intersect and affect varying patterns of the stress hormone cortisol, identity integration processes, and psychological health symptoms among sexual and gender diverse adolescents and emerging adults belonging to minoritized ethnic and racial groups. This work seeks to identify and describe etiological mechanisms linking multiple minority stress to psychological health disparities.
Representative peer-reviewed published articles:
Parra, L. A., Helm, J. L., & Hastings, P.D. (2025) Heterosexist victimization and diurnal cortisol predict depression trajectories among sexual and gender minority emerging adults. Psychoneuroendocrinology. DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2025.107476 (Download PDF)
Parra, L. A., Helm, J. L., & Hastings, P.D. (2022) Adrenocortical responses of emerging adults in California in the two months following the Pulse Night Club massacre: Evidence for distal stress responses. Comprehensive Psychoneuroendocrinology, 100129. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpnec.2022.100129(Download PDF)
Parra, L. A., & Hastings, P.D. (2020). Challenges to identity integration indirectly link experiences of heterosexist and racist discrimination to lower waking salivary cortisol in sexually diverse Latinx emerging adults. Frontiers in Psychology. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00228(Download PDF)
Parra, L. A., Benibgui, M., Helm J. L., & Hastings P. D. (2016). Minority stress predicts depression in lesbian, gay, and bisexual young adults via elevated diurnal cortisol. Emerging Adulthood, 4(5), 365–372. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/2167696815626822(Download PDF)