Schmitz, Rachel M., and Ruby Charak. "“I Went into This as One Person, and Then Came Out a Totally Different Person”: Native LGBTQ2S+ Young Adults’ Conceptions of Trauma." Journal of Interpersonal Violence (2020): 0886260520948523.
Abstract
Intersecting sources of stigma influence harmful mental health outcomes for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and Two-Spirit (LGBTQ2S+) young adults (YA) of color as they must manage multiple oppressions. Experiencing both mental health challenges and victimization, LGBTQ2S+ YA of color struggle with distinctive psychological traumas.
There is a critical need to determine how certain groups of LGBTQ2S+ YA of color’s marginalized social statuses shape trauma understandings. Native LGBTQ2S+ people in general endure diverse forms of oppression and trauma, such as histories of colonialism, contemporary racism, sexism, homophobia, and classism.
Understanding the subjective interpretations of violence and trauma among Native LGBTQ2S+ YA is needed to best meet their mental health needs. Through in-depth interviews with 13 Native LGBTQ2S+ YA between 18 and 24 years old, this study delineates processes of how an underrepresented, underserved group of rurally embedded YA conceptualize violent and traumatic life experiences within the context of their mental health.
First, participants described their traumatic experiences as shaping persistent harmful mental health outcomes throughout their lives. Second, YA conceptualized trauma as pivotal moments that were profound and influential in their significance as a turning point in their lives. Finally, YA underscored multiple traumas as cumulative and complex in how they interacted to create distinctively harmful mental health challenges. Expansive conceptualizations of trauma can better inform understandings of trauma etiology and promote inclusive health services.
Conclusion
In expanding conceptualizations of trauma grounded in narratives of Native LGBTQ2S+ YA, our study has significant implications for both improving services and expanding policies to support marginalized young people’s wellbeing. Our findings shed light on acknowledging the multiple marginalization YA can endure and how this may correspond with their complex trauma experiences that are not static, but rather dynamic in their scope and adverse effects. Health service providers can play a key role in (re)affirming YA identities, particularly when they have complex trauma histories and are navigating intersecting oppressions related to their gender, sexual, racial, and ethnic identities (Schmitz & Tabler, 2019). Trauma-informed health resources, which require providers to be actively, continually responsive to patients’ diverse needs and experiences with victimization, are especially critical in promoting the healing process and potential resilience among LGBTQ2S+ people of color (Singh, 2017). Elevating issues faced by Native LGBTQ2S+ populations within mainstream awareness can promote public health campaigns to both validate marginalized groups’ multiple identities (Walters et al., 2006) and address the epidemic of violence endured by Native populations (Lehavot et al., 2009). Trauma narratives of Native LGBTQ2S+ YA in this study exemplify the importance of both actively listening and responding to marginalized perspectives in efforts to promote expansive understandings of trauma that challenge dominant, oppressive forces.