OPPRESSION AND STRESS: EXPLORING THE CONNECTION BETWEEN MINORITY STRESS THEORY AND THE ACTIVATION OF THE HPA AXIS

Abstract

Minority stress theory is a psychological theory that posits that minority individuals experience increased levels of chronic stress simply due to their status as minorities. This level of stress increases the more minority identities an individual has. The HPA axis is the key stress axis in the human body; importantly, it is adaptive, meaning that it can cause changes to itself if it is being over- or under-activated. It follows, then, that minority stress should activate the HPA axis and cause alterations. Though some studies have looked at the connection between the two, the majority of the study of this aspect of the field has been through literature reviews of health outcomes of minority populations, which is only one aspect of HPA axis reactivity. The aim of this review is to a) provide background information around the HPA axis and minority stress theory; b) explore the connection between the two by summarizing prior literature reviews and studies done; and c) provide future directions to make this research effective and usable for the communities it most impacts.