Examining the Performance of the Sexual Minority Adolescent Stress Inventory with Transgender and Gender-Diverse Youth and Sexual Minority Emerging Adults: A Methodological Study

Purpose: We examined the psychometric properties and criterion validity of the Sexual Minority Adolescent Stress Inventory (SMASI) among 730 sexual minority (SM) and transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) youth aged 14 to 24 years who participated in a human immunodeficiency virus study.Methods: We tested the factor structure of the global scale and subscales and measurement invariance across age, gender identity, sex assigned at birth, sexual identity, ethnoracial identity, and city. For criterion validity, we regressed mental health and substance use measures on the global scale.Results: The global scale had excellent fit (comparative fit index = 0.95) and high reliability (omega = 0.89). Subscale model fit was adequate. We confirmed invariance by gender identity and age and established criterion validity.Conclusion: The SMASI exhibits strong psychometric properties among SM emerging adults and TGD youth. Modifications could enhance the SMASI to better capture both sexual and gender minority stress among ethnoracial minority youth.