title: Minority stress in the lives of men who have sex with men in Cape Town, South Africa.
abstract: The mental health outcomes of men who have sex with men (MSM) living in sub-Saharan Africa are understudied, despite evidence that discrimination and stigma are widespread. This article examines the occurrence and mental health effects of minority stress in a sample of diverse South African MSM. Twenty-two MSM living in Cape Town took part in exploratory qualitative in-depth interviews and completed mental health questionnaires. Results indicate that the majority of participants experienced minority stress, which affected their sexual relationships and coping strategies. Concealment behaviors and perceived discrimination levels were high and were associated with race, religion, SES, and geographical location.
authors.affiliation: a Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health , Emory University , Atlanta , GA , USA.
authors.forename: Ayesha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McAdams-Mahmoud
authors.forename: Rob
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stephenson
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rentsch
authors.forename: Hannah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: Kimberly Jacob
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Arriola
authors.forename: Geoffrey
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jobson
authors.forename: Glenn
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: de Swardt
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Struthers
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McIntyre
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D063509:Homophobia / Q000523:psychology; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008913:Minority Groups / Q000523:psychology*; D013019:South Africa; D013240:Stereotyping; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: MSM; South Africa; homophobia; minority stress; qualitative