Background: Microaggressions are subtle slights that can cause significant psychological distress among marginalized groups. Few studies have explored interventions that might mitigate these effects. Objective: This study aimed to investigate if and how humor-infused immersive storytelling via virtual reality (VR) could reduce identity-related psychological distress caused by microaggressions. Methods: Using a community-based participatory research approach, we developed a 7-min 360-degree VR film depicting scenarios of microaggressions across various identities. Forty-six college students participated in a controlled study where they were exposed to this immersive VR experience. We measured identity-related psychological anxiety, character identification, perceived humor, and perceived psychological presence. Results: The findings demonstrated a significant anxiety reduction following the VR intervention, supporting the efficacy of humor-infused storytelling in alleviating the impact of microaggressions. Character identification significantly predicted anxiety reduction, while perceived humor and psychological presence did not directly influence anxiety reduction but indirectly contributed through enhanced character identification. Conclusions: Humor-infused immersive storytelling, facilitated by VR, effectively reduces identity-related psychological distress primarily through character identification. The structural equation modeling results emphasize the importance of integrating humor and psychological presence to enhance character connection, advocating for a balanced approach that combines traditional narrative elements with technological innovations in health interventions aimed at combating the adverse psychological effects of microaggressions.

UNASSIGNED: This study assesses the effectiveness of clinical simulation-based training in boosting self-perceived confidence for using upstander communication skills to confront racism, discrimination, and microaggressions (RDM).
UNASSIGNED: We conducted an observational cohort study with emergency medicine professionals at the 2023 Scientific Assembly of the American Academy of Emergency Medicine in New Orleans, Louisiana. The study featured a clinical simulation-based training on upstander communications skills session followed by small- and large-group debriefs. Participants completed pre- and post-training questionnaires assessing demographics and confidence in health equity competencies. This survey was used in a previous study with emergency medicine residents. Data were analyzed using an independent Student\'s t-test, with a significance threshold of 0.05.
UNASSIGNED: Thirty-two individuals participated in the simulation-based training, and 24 completed surveys, with a 75% response rate. Most participants were non-Hispanic (24, 85.7%) and women (18, 64%), with racial demographics mostly White (8, 28.6%), Black or African American (8, 28.6%), and Asian (6, 21.4%). After the workshop, there was a notable increase in self-perceived ability and confidence in identifying RDM (from 7 ± 3.2 to 8.6 ± 1.6, p < 0.003), using upstander communication tools (from 6.1 ± 3.5 to 8.5 ± 1, p < 0.0001), and the likelihood of intervening in RDM situations (from 7.1 ± 3.3 to 8.8 ± 1.1, p < 0.0002).
UNASSIGNED: The clinical simulation-based training significantly improved participants\' confidence and self-perceived ability to address RDM in simulated clinical environments. This training method is a promising tool for teaching health equity topics in clinical medicine.

Genetic counseling students with minoritized identities have reported experiencing microaggressions throughout graduate training, including from fieldwork supervisors. However, the impacts of these fieldwork experiences have not been thoroughly investigated. As supervision is known to be integral to genetic counseling students\' skill development and success, the purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the impact of microaggressions on student training, with a specific focus on the supervisory working alliance. To achieve this goal, we conducted 11 interviews with recent genetic counseling graduates (2019-2021) who reported experiencing at least one microaggression from a fieldwork supervisor during graduate school training. Purposive sampling was used to prioritize interviewees who identified as underrepresented in the field due to race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, and/or disability status. All interviewees were initially recruited as part of a larger mixed-methods study investigating the frequency and types of microaggressions genetic counseling students experience from fieldwork supervisors. Interview questions explored the time period before a microaggression event, during the event, and after. Qualitative thematic analysis resulted in four themes, three of which are presented in this paper: (1) Impact of microaggressions, (2) Barriers to reporting microaggressions, and (3) Experience reporting microaggressions. Microaggressions from supervisors were shown to impair the psychological well-being of participants and hinder learning opportunities. These experiences led participants to question their choice of profession and avoid time in clinic, ultimately constraining the development of strong supervisory working alliances. Some participants did not report microaggressions due to fear of negative repercussions, and those who did described defensive responses which harmed students\' relationships with program leadership. This study reveals opportunities for supervisors to improve student training conditions by centering students\' feelings and experiences, increasing open and honest communication, and extending psychosocial tools to supervision. Additionally, graduate programs are encouraged to establish structured reporting protocols for students and evaluate current shortcomings in equity and inclusion initiatives.

While research has shown that genetic counseling students with minoritized racial or ethnic identities face microaggressions throughout graduate training, quantitative data regarding the frequency of these experiences have not been reported. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to investigate the frequency and types of microaggressions experienced by graduates of accredited genetic counseling programs in the United States during fieldwork rotations. A quantitative survey was administered to assess how frequently 14 different types of microaggressions occurred in interactions with supervisors. Survey responses were analyzed using situation-based coding (the number of different types of microaggressions experienced) and frequency-based coding (the sum of participants\' weighted Likert answers). Select survey respondents with minoritized identities were interviewed to better contextualize and categorize microaggression experiences. Analysis of 87 survey responses revealed that participants with minoritized racial and ethnic identities experience significantly more types of microaggressions (t(61) = 2.77; p = 0.007) at a significantly higher frequency (t(55) = 2.67; p = 0.010) than their white counterparts. Participants who identified as part of the disability community were also found to experience significantly more types of microaggressions (t(10) = 3.25; p = 0.009) at a significantly higher frequency (t(9) = 2.32; p = 0.045) than those who did not. Qualitative analysis of 11 interviews revealed that microaggressions from supervisors included offensive and inappropriate comments, unequal treatment, cultural intolerance, and disparaging feedback. Overall, our data present evidence that students with minoritized racial and ethnic identities and students with disabilities are subjected to a variety of inequitable, exclusionary, and harmful interactions. As a result, we recommend that all supervisors receive training about recognizing and preventing microaggressions to ensure that students are provided with an equitable and inclusive training experience, regardless of identity.

UNASSIGNED: The burden of microaggressions in the workplace is an ongoing stressor for female physicians in academic medicine. For female physicians of Color or of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual community, this burden is even heavier due to the concept of intersectionality. The goal of this study is to assess frequency of microaggressions experienced by participants. In addition, to explore the associations between microaggression and individual outcomes, patient care practices and attitudes, and perception of pay/promotion equity.
UNASSIGNED: This was a cross-sectional analysis of female residents, fellows and attendings conducted from December 2020-January 2021 at Northwell Health across all specialties. One hundred seventeen participants replied to the study in REDCap. They completed questionnaires related to the topics of imposter phenomenon, microaggressions, gender identity salience, patient safety, patient care, counterproductive work behavior and pay and promotion equity.
UNASSIGNED: A majority of the respondents were white (49.6%) and 15+ years out of medical school (43.6%). Around 84.6% of female physicians endorsed experiencing microaggressions. There were positive associations between microaggressions and imposter phenomenon as well as microaggressions and counterproductive work behavior. There was a negative association between microaggressions and pay equity or promotion. The small sample size did not allow for us to examine differences by race.
UNASSIGNED: Although the number of female physicians continues to rise due to an uptick in female medical school enrollees, female physicians still must deal with the burden of microaggressions in the workplace.
UNASSIGNED: As a result, academic medical institutions must seek to create more supportive workplace for female physicians.

BACKGROUND: Experiencing racial microaggressions has clear effects on physical and psychological health, including obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms (OCS). More research is needed to examine this link. Psychological flexibility is an important process to examine in this work.
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine if, while controlling for depression and anxiety, experiences of microaggressions and psychological flexibility helped explain OCD symptoms within a university-affiliated sample (undergraduate, graduate and law students). This was a pilot exploration of the relationships across themes.
METHODS: Initial baseline data from a longitudinal study of psychological flexibility, OCD symptoms, depression, anxiety and experience of microaggressions was utilized. Correlations and regressions were utilized to examine which OCD symptom dimensions were associated with experiencing racial microaggressions in addition to anxiety and depression, and the added role of psychological flexibility was examined.
RESULTS: OCD symptoms, experiences of microaggressions and psychological flexibility were correlated. Experiences of racial microaggressions explained responsibility for harm and contamination OCD symptoms above and beyond psychological distress. Exploratory results support the relevance of psychological flexibility.
CONCLUSIONS: Results support other work that experiences of racial microaggressions help explain OCS and they add some support for psychological flexibility as a relevant risk or protective factor for mental health in marginalized populations. These topics should be studied longitudinally with continued consideration of all OCD themes, larger sample sizes, intersecting identities, clinical samples, and continued exploration of psychological flexibility and mindfulness and values-based treatments.

Microaggressions are brief, commonplace indignities expressed through verbal or behavioral means. In China, microaggressions have proliferated with the wide implementation of education protection policies for disabled children (including learning in regular classes (LRC), special school education (SSE), and home-delivery education (HDE)), resulting in severe consequences. However, related issues have not been discussed yet.
This study explores concrete forms of microaggressions that disabled children have experienced under three educational policies.
We took a qualitative phenomenological approach and used semi-structured interviews to collect data. 22 disabled children, their guardians, and eight educators from three compulsory education schools in Jinan, China, were included in this study.
Microaggressions are categorized into three types: microassaults, microinsults, and microinvalidations. In LRC, typical microaggressions include the microassaults of refusal, extra requirements, avoiding needs, and accusations; the microinsults of labeling, differential patronization, and over-protection; and the microinvalidation of suspicion. In SSE, typical microaggressions include the microassaults of refusal, belittling, hiding, and ignoring; the microinsults of assumptions of low intelligence, ignoring, and distancing; and the microinvalidation of suspicion. In HDE, typical microaggressions include the microassaults of denial of privacy and denial of expression; and the microinsults of infantilization and blame.
The microaggressions that disabled children experience under educational policies produce serious disciplinary effects. To eliminate microaggressions, it is necessary to publicize the new disability rights paradigm, engage disabled children and their families in participation in the political process, develop demand-oriented assessment criteria, and standardize educators\' discretion.

Objective: We assessed the association between gendered racism, the simultaneous experience of sexism and racism, depression, and psychological distress in Black college women using an intersectional instrument, the gendered racial microaggression scale. Participants: Black college women enrolled at a predominantly white institution (PWI) in the southeastern U.S. (N = 164, response rate = 77%, mean age 21.67). Methods: We used a cross-sectional survey to explore the impact of stress appraisal and frequency of gendered racial microaggressions on depression and psychological distress using validated scales. Results: 30% reported depression and 54% reported severe psychological distress. Correlations indicate significant relationships between gendered racism, depression and psychological distress, with the strongest relation reported between the frequency of gendered racism to depression. Regression analyses suggest significant relationships between gendered racism, depression and psychological distress. Conclusion: Gendered racism has significant bearing on the mental health of Black college women attending a PWI. Implications for interventions are discussed.

BACKGROUND: Microaggressions, stigma and minority stress still occur among sexual and gender minorities on an individual, interpersonal, and structural level. Cultural immersion may therefore be an effective strategy in order to find potential healthcare approaches and foster more comprehensive, critical, intersectional, and inclusive care practices.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to develop insight into the experiences of LGBTQ+ community members to obtain in-depth perceptions of microaggressions and an understanding of their healthcare needs to provide a culturally safe and sensitive care.
METHODS: A qualitative descriptive study was conducted between September to November 2021.
METHODS: This study was conducted at the University of Almeria with LGBTQ+ community members.
METHODS: Twenty-one LGBTQ+ individual participated in this study, aged between 18 and 56 years old.
METHODS: Participants were recruited using a purposive sampling. Responses from semi-structured interviews were studied using a thematic analysis. Methods and findings are reported in line with Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research recommendations.
RESULTS: Three themes emerged from the qualitative analysis: (i) experiences to understand the impact of a heteronormative society, (ii) perceptions of engaging with health education and promotion, and (iii) healthcare access, use and experiences within the LGTBQ+ community.
CONCLUSIONS: This study yields findings about the difficulties that LGBTQ+ community members face in the healthcare system in order to ensure equal care for vulnerable communities and integrate a culturally safe care approach into nursing practice. Certain microaffirmation strategies against social determinants of health such as school-based nursing strategies can help to raise awareness and knowledge among heterosexual peers and reduce cultural invisibility, microaggressions, stigma and minority stress. In order to provide culturally safe care, educators might also explore the inclusion of gender and sexual minority care content in both in-faculty education and ongoing continuing education for nurse practitioners.

The purpose of this qualitative pilot study was to investigate the role of race (and racism) and sense of belonging for Black men in medical school. A single research question guided this exploratory project: How do Black men in medical school describe their experiences? Analyzing interview data from 8 Black male medical school students revealed frequent encounters with racial discrimination and prejudice. Results show that race adversely affected their academic and social experiences and diminished their sense of belonging in medical school. Consequently, they faced difficulty connecting with White peers and faculty, racist stereotypes, and racial microaggressions that stigmatized them as \"out of place,\" unqualified, or unusual. Implications for policy, practice, and minority medical student success are highlighted.