Black LGBTQ+ adults face significant health disparities stemming from intersecting minority stressors. While community belongingness is often theorized as a protective factor, these communities can also be sites of exclusion, creating a complex dynamic. This study’s objective was to test whether community belongingness moderates the relationship between minority stress, operationalized as microaggressions, and subjective well-being in a national sample of Black LGBTQ+ adults. Data were taken from a national online survey of 345 Black LGBTQ+ adults conducted between November 2020 and January 2021. We used validated scales to measure experiences of microaggressions, subjective well-being, and community belongingness. A moderated multiple regression analysis was conducted using the PROCESS macro to test for an interaction effect, controlling for demographic covariates. Minority stress was significantly negatively associated with well-being (b = −0.11, p = 0.005), while community belongingness was positively associated with well-being (b = 0.43, p < 0.001). A significant interaction emerged (b = −0.01, p = 0.021). Simple slopes analysis revealed that the negative relationship between minority stress and well-being was strongest for individuals with high community belongingness (b = −0.18, p < 0.001) and was not significant for those with low belongingness, potentially indicating an exacerbating effect. Contrary to the buffering hypothesis, community belongingness paradoxically amplified the negative impact of minority stress on well-being. This paradox of belonging suggests that highly connected communities may become sites for trauma bonding, which can amplify distress. Public health efforts must focus not only on fostering connection but on building communities that are resourceful, inclusive, and capable of transforming shared experiences into collective empowerment.

Despite evidence linking perceived social isolation (PSI) with substance use disorders (SUDs), limited research has examined its effect on fentanyl use among people who inject drugs (PWID). Cross-sectional data of 350 PWID in Appalachian Kentucky were utilized to examine the association between PSI and lifetime fentanyl use. Study findings highlighted a significant association between PSI and lifetime fentanyl use. Additionally, PWID with higher scores on the PSI scale tend to use fentanyl less frequently, suggesting that social isolation may serve as a protective factor against fentanyl use within our PWID sample. This raises a concern regarding PWID forming support networks that inadvertently contribute to increased fentanyl use rather than promote recovery. Examining networks among at-risk PWID can offer valuable insights into patterns of fentanyl use and related overdoses. This can aid the design of effective policies and interventions to promote behavior change, harm reduction, and SUD treatment engagement among PWID.

This study aimed to investigate the association between protective factors, marijuana use, and suicidal behavior among Black LGBQ U.S. adolescents. Methods: A subsample of 991 Black LGBQ adolescents was derived from the 2019 Combined High School YRBSS dataset. Suicidal behavior was measured as suicidal planning and/or previous suicide attempts. Marijuana usage gauged lifetime consumption. The protective factors included sports team participation, physical activity, eating breakfast, hours of sleep, and academic performance. Age and sex were entered as covariates. Multiple imputation by chained equations (MICE) was used to address missing data, and pooled binary logistic regression analyses were conducted. Results: Academic performance and hours of sleep were significantly associated with lower odds of suicidal behavior and lifetime marijuana use. Sports team participation was associated with higher odds of lifetime marijuana use. Being female was linked to higher odds of marijuana use, while older age was associated with lower odds. Discussion: For Black LGBQ youth, academic performance and sufficient sleep may function as protective factors. Participating in sports was associated with greater odds of risk behaviors, highlighting the need to assess the experiences of Black LGBQ youth in sports. Implications and Contributions: Our findings inform school programming, policy, and practice by identifying academic support and sleep health as intervention areas.