(PS7-B32) Social Support as a Buffer for Daily Minority Stress Associations with Alcohol and Other Drug Use in Sexual Minority Women

Sexual minority women (SMW, e.g., lesbian, bisexual, queer) are at heightened risk for substance use, particularly those who have faced trauma. Yet, little is known about risk and protective factors that explain who is most at risk in this group and when. Moreover, few studies have focused on interpersonal risk (e.g., minority stressors) and protective factors (e.g., social support) to explain within-group heterogeneity in daily substance use among SMW. This study addressed this gap in existing literature by testing (1) daily associations between minority stress and substance use; and (2) the buffering effects of general and minority-specific social support on these associations. Participants were 187 SMW (49% White, 18% Black or African American, 12% Hispanic or Latinx, 11% multiracial, 7% Asian American and Pacific Islander, and 3% other) who were at least 18 years old with a history of trauma and recruited from online forums, social media, and community organizations across the U.S. between April 2021 and August 2022. Participants completed a baseline survey and 14 daily online surveys. Both aims were tested using multilevel modeling predicting daily substance use. Preliminary findings showed that individuals who reported greater minority stress throughout the observation period were more likely to drink, use marijuana, and use other drugs (time-invariant effects). In addition, individuals were more likely to drink, use marijuana, and use other drugs on days when they reported greater minority stress as compared to other days (time-varying effects). We also found nuanced differences in the (time-varying and time-invariant) moderation effects of general support received, general support satisfaction, and minority-specific support across substances. Across stressors and sources of support, general support satisfaction most consistently associated with all three substances. Findings suggest that it is not just “any” support (i.e., general support received, or minority-specific support received) but “good” support (i.e., general support satisfaction) that matters to this population. These findings could inform prevention and intervention efforts to reduce trauma-exposed SMW’s daily substance use – a nationally recognized research priority group – by focusing on the quality and source of the social support.