A recent study illustrates this point. Using data from a nationally representative study of over 34,000 participants (Hatzenbuehler, Keyes, & Hasin, in press), the authors showed that the prevalence of psychiatric disorders was significantly higher among LGB respondents living in states with social policies that do not confer protection for LGB individuals, relative to LGB respondents who reside in states with protective policies. These results suggest that changing social policies may influence psychopathology at the individual level, lending support for current policies that seek to prohibit discrimination toward LGB individuals (e.g., legislation banning same-sex marriage). Mental health disparities were not entirely eliminated after accounting for the social policies, however, indicating the importance of concurrent interventions at the individual level. Although this study did not examine mechanisms linking structural stressors to psychiatric disorders, the psychological mediation framework has identified promising avenues for the development of such interventions.
