Wikipedia

Winn Kelly Brooks

Winn Kelly Brooks (formerly Virginia Rae Brooks; December 24, 1938 – October 7, 2008) was an American researcher and scholar in the field of minority stress theory.[1] She is recognized as a pioneer of the concept of minority stress in sexual minority populations.[2][3] Brooks completed a Doctorate in Social Work (DSW) and Social Welfare at University of California-Berkeley[4] and published Minority Stress and Lesbian Women in 1981.[5][6]

Winn Kelly Brooks
Born
Virginia Rae Brooks

(1938-12-24)December 24, 1938
Wichita Falls, Texas
DiedOctober 7, 2008(2008-10-07) (aged 69)
Known forminority stress theory
Academic background
EducationUniversity of California-Berkeley
Academic work
DisciplineSocial work

Research on minority stress theory

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Brook's dissertation on minority stress in lesbian women explored the unique stressors and challenges faced by lesbians as members of a stigmatized minority group. This represented the first research study to use the term "minority stress" as it pertained to sexual and gender minorities and to explore the individual, community and systematic barriers that contribute to poor health outcomes. Her research originated in a study on lesbian women recruited at a 1975 meeting of the National Organization of Women (NOW) in San Francisco, shortly after women had been expelled from and then allowed back into NOW.[7] This research brought in survey feedback from 275 women.[8] She explored cultural, social, and economic stress that sexual minority women are exposed to, and the impacts of these on physical and psychological health.[9]

Brooks also originated a scale for assessing global helpfulness of therapists that continues to be employed in research on therapy practice,[10][11] and her work set a precedent for examining the therapist-client match on sexual orientation.[11] Her findings that lesbian and heterosexual female therapists are rated more helpful by lesbian clients than heterosexual male therapists[12] have been replicated by subsequent studies.[11]

Research legacy

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The concept of minority stress was popularized in 1995 by Ilan Meyer in his research, "Minority Stress and Health in Gay Men".[13][14] In the early 2000s, Meyer publicly credited the work of Brooks despite not initially noting the origins of these concepts.[15] Despite her contribution to minority stress research for LGBTQIA populations, the work of Brooks remains relatively unrecognized in the field of minority stress theory, social work, and psychology.[16][3][17]

Brooks' work on minority stress theory has been referenced as a framework for research outside the area of sexual minority populations, including research about child-free populations.[18] Her research was also drawn on as a framework for the Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Health Issues and Research Gaps and Opportunities 2011 report on The Health of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People: Building a Foundation for Better Understanding.[19]

References

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  1. ^ "Winn Kelly (Virginia Rae) Brooks". Austin American-Statesman. October 24, 2008.
  2. ^ Millar, Brett; Layland, Eric; Nelson, Kimberly; Eaton, Lisa (2021). "Two Landmarks in Sexual Health: Looking back to 1981". Outlook: The Member Newsletter of the Society of Behavioral Medicine (Spring 2021).
  3. ^ a b Rich, Ashleigh J.; Salway, Travis; Scheim, Ayden; Poteat, Tonia (2020-04-01). "Sexual Minority Stress Theory: Remembering and Honoring the Work of Virginia Brooks". LGBT Health. 7 (3): 124–127. doi:10.1089/lgbt.2019.0223. ISSN 2325-8292. PMID 32053038. S2CID 211101733.
  4. ^ "Full Article". Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM). Retrieved 2023-03-14.
  5. ^ "Minority stress and lesbian women | WorldCat.org". www.worldcat.org. Retrieved 2023-05-19.
  6. ^ Vescio, Alessandra (August 15, 2022). "What is minority stress and how does it effect the LGBTQIA community?".
  7. ^ Rich, Ashleigh (2020-06-30). "We can't talk about LGBT health without remembering Virginia Brooks". The Conversation. Retrieved 2023-05-17.
  8. ^ Liddle, Becky J. (1996). "Therapist sexual orientation, gender, and counseling practices as they relate to ratings on helpfulness by gay and lesbian clients". Journal of Counseling Psychology. 43 (4): 394–401. doi:10.1037/0022-0167.43.4.394. ISSN 1939-2168.
  9. ^ Millar, Brett; Layland, Eric; Nelson, Kimberly; Eaton, Lisa (2021). "Two Landmarks in Sexual Health: Looking Back to 1981". Outlook: The Member Newsletter of the Society of Behavioral Medicine.
  10. ^ Schechinger, Heath A.; Sakaluk, John Kitchener; Moors, Amy C. (2018). "Harmful and helpful therapy practices with consensually non-monogamous clients: Toward an inclusive framework". Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 86 (11): 879–891. doi:10.1037/ccp0000349. ISSN 1939-2117. PMID 30335421. S2CID 53018092.
  11. ^ a b c Liddle, Becky J. (1996). "Therapist sexual orientation, gender, and counseling practices as they relate to ratings on helpfulness by gay and lesbian clients". Journal of Counseling Psychology. 43 (4): 394–401. doi:10.1037/0022-0167.43.4.394. ISSN 1939-2168.
  12. ^ Brooks, Virginia R. (1981-09-01). "Sex and sexual orientation as variables in therapists' biases and therapy outcomes". Clinical Social Work Journal. 9 (3): 198–210. doi:10.1007/BF00757178. ISSN 1573-3343. S2CID 143584472.
  13. ^ Meyer, Ilan H. (2003). "Prejudice, social stress, and mental health in lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations: Conceptual issues and research evidence". Psychological Bulletin. 129 (5): 674–697. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.129.5.674. ISSN 1939-1455. PMC 2072932. PMID 12956539.
  14. ^ Meyer, Ilan H. (1995). "Minority Stress and Mental Health in Gay Men". Journal of Health and Social Behavior. 36 (1): 38–56. doi:10.2307/2137286. ISSN 0022-1465. JSTOR 2137286. PMID 7738327.
  15. ^ Meyer, Ilan H. (September 2003). "Prejudice, Social Stress, and Mental Health in Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Populations: Conceptual Issues and Research Evidence". Psychological Bulletin. 129 (5): 674–697. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.129.5.674. ISSN 0033-2909. PMC 2072932. PMID 12956539.
  16. ^ Brooks, WK (1992). Research and the gay minority: Problems and possibilities. New York: Irvington Publishers. pp. 201–215. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  17. ^ Brooks, Winn Kelly (1986). "Human Behavior/Social Environment: Past and Present, Future or Folly?". Journal of Social Work Education. 22 (1): 18–23. doi:10.1080/10437797.1986.10671725. ISSN 1043-7797. JSTOR 23042891.
  18. ^ Thornley, Davinia, ed. (2022), Childfree across the Disciplines, Rutgers University Press, doi:10.2307/j.ctv2v55gxf.3, retrieved 2023-05-17.
  19. ^ Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Lesbian, Gay (2011), "Introduction", The Health of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People: Building a Foundation for Better Understanding, National Academies Press (US), retrieved 2023-05-17
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