Why do LGBTQ+ youth vape more than their peers? Stigma, bullying, and rejection are major factors

[C C]

Pretty much the "duh" or reflexive direction that an armchair theorist would go (plus social justice templates demand oppression as a chief factor). But the bean-counters likely require this kind of formal research to budge them (not "common sense").
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Why do LGBTQ+ youth vape more than their peers? Stigma, bullying, and rejection are major factors
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1128760

EXCERPT: What places LGBTQ+ youth at greater risk than their non-LGBTQ+ peers? It is not sexual or gender identity itself, according to a study led by George Mason University PhD in public health student Omolayo Anjorin. Rather, Anjorin’s research reveals that it is social and community factors that make LGBTQ+ youth more vulnerable to e-cigarette use. “The stigma and discrimination associated with identifying as a sexual or gender minority elevates psychological distress and contributes to negative coping behaviors like vaping,” said Anjorin... (MORE - no ads)
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[exchemist]

Pretty much the "duh" or reflexive direction that an armchair theorist would go (plus social justice templates demand oppression as a chief factor). But the bean-counters likely require this kind of formal research to budge them (not "common sense").
- - - - - - - - - -

Why do LGBTQ+ youth vape more than their peers? Stigma, bullying, and rejection are major factors
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1128760

EXCERPT: What places LGBTQ+ youth at greater risk than their non-LGBTQ+ peers? It is not sexual or gender identity itself, according to a study led by George Mason University PhD in public health student Omolayo Anjorin. Rather, Anjorin’s research reveals that it is social and community factors that make LGBTQ+ youth more vulnerable to e-cigarette use. “The stigma and discrimination associated with identifying as a sexual or gender minority elevates psychological distress and contributes to negative coping behaviors like vaping,” said Anjorin... (MORE - no ads)
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I had no idea vaping was considered a "negative coping behaviour". Is this a recognised thing?

 

[C C]

I had no idea vaping was considered a "negative coping behaviour". Is this a recognised thing?

Why do young adults vape?
https://www.newportinstitute.com/resources/co-occurring-disorders/vaping-and-mental-health/

KEY POINTS: The majority of young adults (81 percent) start vaping as a way to relieve anxiety and stress. However, vaping can actually make mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and eating disorders worse. In addition, vaping has numerous negative physical health effects. Therapy can help young adults find healthy ways to cope with stress and mental health disorders

The unexpected harms of vaping
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/...haviors/202309/the-unexpected-harms-of-vaping
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IOW, it doesn't take much for an activity to slot on the Lord Protectors' list as an unhealthy self-medicating attempt to remedy psychological burdens.
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[TheVat]

I had no idea vaping was considered a "negative coping behaviour". Is this a recognised thing?

People smoke or vape because they like it. Enjoyable nasty habits have been a staple of humanity for millennia. I question putting so many things in the context of oppression or "needs therapy." Or that vices are actually "self-medicating," though I acknowledge people often say that in a joking way.

I'm imagining having a smoke and being some sort of social outlier and someone coming at me with "We can help you with your negative coping, you poor damaged person." Aren't there enough people out there with schizoaffective disorders or spectrum disorders to keep the profession busy?

 

[exchemist]

People smoke or vape because they like it. Enjoyable nasty habits have been a staple of humanity for millennia. I question putting so many things in the context of oppression or "needs therapy." Or that vices are actually "self-medicating," though I acknowledge people often say that in a joking way.

I'm imagining having a smoke and being some sort of social outlier and someone coming at me with "We can help you with your negative coping, you poor damaged person." Aren't there enough people out there with schizoaffective disorders or spectrum disorders to keep the profession busy?

Well that is rather my feeling. I recall being very irritated in Houston to be asked in a medical questionnaire whether I "used" alcohol. I replied "No", then added "but I do drink".

 

[TheVat]

Ha, yes. Another thing about the Eureka Alert article which seemed questionable was the quick jump from correlation to causation. There could be multiple reasons for such a correlation. E.g. people who come from homes where there is a more permissive attitude (including towards vaping) also are more likely to explore alternative gender/sexual orientations and identify with them. There could also be socioeconomic factors impacting both tobacco use and degrees of freedom to try alternative roles.

 

[C C]

Ha, yes. Another thing about the Eureka Alert article which seemed questionable was the quick jump from correlation to causation. There could be multiple reasons for such a correlation. E.g. people who come from homes where there is a more permissive attitude (including towards vaping) also are more likely to explore alternative gender/sexual orientations and identify with them. There could also be socioeconomic factors impacting both tobacco use and degrees of freedom to try alternative roles.

General background influences slash circumstances that affect all youth were supposedly taken into account, but the higher rate among LGBT+ is attributed to the extra victimization and disadvantages unique to those marginalized population groups. There is the potential bias of the research using the social ecological model in terms of how distinctions and relationships are arranged, and the how data is interpreted. Plus, studies that highlight social injustice arguably tend to get rewarded with more chances of publication. (Given the still steady output in this area of the social sciences, and excluding the high-profile targets of the Trump regime, the latter's facile obstructions of "special identity compassion" are apparently just that: ineffective or superficial sideshows.)

EXCERPTS: [...] Guided by the Social Ecological Model, findings are organized across individual, interpersonal, organizational/community, and societal levels, and interpreted through two complementary mechanisms: a minority stress–related coping pathway and a socialization and identity pathway. [...] Despite the importance of this framework for prevention, most research treats youth as a homogeneous population, often overlooking LGBTQ + -specific mechanisms shaping vaping behavior. By synthesizing LGBTQ + -specific factors alongside those shared with same-age non-LGBTQ + peers, this review informs selective prevention strategies designed specifically for at-risk populations. .
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