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"Latinx" is gender-neutral term used instead of “Latino” and “Latina” that refers to individuals of Latin American descent. Latinx and sexual minority youth (SMY) report higher rates of alcohol use than white and heterosexual youth. New research finds that Latinx SMY experience and cope with discrimination in unique ways, which can have an impact on their alcohol treatment response. These findings will be shared at the 48th annual scientific meeting of the Research Society on Alcohol (RSA) in New Orleans, Louisiana.
“Latinx youth report higher rates of drinking, intoxication, and heavy alcohol use than non-Latinx white youth. In addition, there is a substantial body of research showing that SMY are more likely to consume alcohol and use other substances than their heterosexual counterparts. I wanted to examine how their lived experiences differed by ethnicity in order to inform culturally and developmentally tailored alcohol interventions.”
Robert Rosales, Assistant Professor-Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University
Rosales will discuss his research findings at the RSA meeting on Wednesday, 25 June 2025.
He has interviewed 15–19-year-old residents from across the U.S. who identify as sexual minorities, consume alcohol, and have in the previous month experienced at least one racial/ethnic or sexual minority discrimination stressor.
Some of the youth reported having homophobic slurs yelled at them, several reported facing prejudice from within their own Latinx communities – whether due to skin color or sexual minority status, and another was told by a white student at their school that they thought he was being deported. Many described expectations to drink in social or family contexts and used alcohol to cope with discrimination. Some participants noted that while alcohol helped them temporarily "forget" their experiences of discrimination, it sometimes intensified their thoughts.
“In survey responses from 46 SMY, we have found that Latinx SMY report significantly higher levels of feeling misunderstood by white LGBT people, feeling unwelcome at groups or events in their racial/ethnic community, being rejected by potential dating or sexual partners because of their race/ethnicity, feeling misunderstood by people in their ethnic/racial community, and not being accepted by other people of their race/ethnicity because they are LGBT,” said Rosales. “These social stressors connected to the intersection of their two marginalized identities can place them at higher risk for substance use. Yet at the same time, sexual minority youth possess protective factors that can be leveraged in treatment to help address the effects of social stress, such as their relationships with parents, family, and friends.”
Rosales noted that current days are challenging for both Latinx youth, regardless of their sexual orientation, and sexual minority youth in the U.S. “Anti-immigrant, anti-race, and anti-LGBTQ+ policies being enacted across the country – at both federal and state levels – may place these youth at greater risk for negative substance use outcomes,” he said.
“Due to the increased experiences with social stressors among this population, this is a time to expand research on this topic, not reduce it. I hope that foundations, organizations, and universities will continue, and increase, their support for research in this area.”
Robert Rosales, Assistant Professor-Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University
(Newswise/TA)
