Benjamin F. Shepherd, PhD
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Postdoctoral Fellow
Biography
Benjamin F. Shepherd, Ph.D., is an NIMH T32 Postdoctoral Fellow in the Yale School of Public Health, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, with a background in clinical psychology. As a researcher and clinician, he specializes in examining the psychosocial mechanisms of risk and resilience underlying mental and behavioral health inequities (e.g., depression, anxiety, alcohol/substance use, disordered eating, HIV-transmission-risk behaviors) faced by sexual minoritized (e.g., gay, bisexual) communities across the lifespan, using an intersectional lens, to inform treatment and prevention efforts. He is particularly interested in investigating how, why, and under what conditions intraminority stress (i.e., stress caused by various forms of stigma perpetuated within a minoritized community) affects health. His current mentors are Dr. John Pachankis and Dr. Trace Kershaw.
Last Updated on July 13, 2026.
Appointments
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Postdoctoral FellowPrimary
Other Departments & Organizations
Education & Training
- PhD
- Nova Southeastern University, Clinical Psychology (2025)
- Doctoral Internship in Health Service Psychology
- Boston University School of Medicine & Boston Medical Center (2025)
- MS
- Nova Southeastern University, Clinical Psychology (2023)
- MEd
- Lehigh University, Human Development (2019)
- BA
- Lehigh University, Spanish and Hispanic Studies (2016)
- BS
- Lehigh University, Psychology (2015)
Research
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Overview
Medical Research Interests
Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms; Behavioral Disciplines and Activities; Ethnic and Racial Minorities; Health Disparate Minority and Vulnerable Populations; Hispanic or Latino; Mental Disorders; Psychiatry and Psychology; Psychological Phenomena; Sexual and Gender Minorities; Social Stigma; Vulnerable Populations
Public Health Interests
Mental Health; HIV/AIDS; Health Equity, Disparities, Social Determinants and Justice; Aging; Behavioral Health
ORCID
0000-0001-7645-9836
Research at a Glance
Publications Timeline
A big-picture view of Benjamin F. Shepherd's research output by year.
Research Interests
Research topics Benjamin F. Shepherd is interested in exploring.
20Publications
260Citations
Sexual and Gender Minorities
Social Stigma
Ethnic and Racial Minorities
Hispanic or Latino
Publications
Featured Publications
Let’s Get Real: Identity Concealment, Burnout, and Therapeutic Relationship Quality Among Psychology Trainees With Concealable Stigmatized Identities
Shepherd B, Brochu P. Let’s Get Real: Identity Concealment, Burnout, and Therapeutic Relationship Quality Among Psychology Trainees With Concealable Stigmatized Identities. Psychotherapy 2024, 61: 125-136. PMID: 38512207, DOI: 10.1037/pst0000522.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsTherapeutic relationship qualityConcealable stigmatized identitiesRelationship qualityPsychology traineesIdentity concealmentAssociated with greater burnoutParallel mediation analysesMinority stress theoryRelational-cultural theoryStigmatized identitiesDoctoral traineesInternship sitesDevelopment of interventionsMediation analysisPsychological needsMental healthAssociated with burnoutAssociated with authenticityProtective factorsPsychologyPoor relationshipsBurnoutProfessional burnoutStress theoryTraineesAn Examination of Theory-Based Suicidal Ideation Risk Factors in College Students With Multiple Marginalized Identities
Shepherd B, Kelly L, Brochu P, Wolff J, Swenson L. An Examination of Theory-Based Suicidal Ideation Risk Factors in College Students With Multiple Marginalized Identities. American Journal Of Orthopsychiatry 2023, 93: 107-119. PMID: 36913274, PMCID: PMC10015593, DOI: 10.1037/ort0000666.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsInterpersonal-psychological theoryAssociated with SI severityMultiple marginalized identitiesSuicidal ideationMarginalized identitiesCollege studentsSI severityAssociated with severityRisk of suicidal ideationSeverity of SIMultiple mediation analysisThree-Step TheoryMeaning in lifeMinoritized sexual orientationsEffects of marginalizationSuicide assessmentEmerging adulthoodMediation pathsSocial marginalizationSexual orientationMediation analysisMarginalized groupsPsychological painIndirect pathsDiverse identitiesAn Intersectional Analysis of Intraminority Stigma Experiences and Community Involvement Among Young, Middle-Aged, and Older Gay Men
Shepherd B, Weinstein E, Stripling A, Maki J, Brochu P. An Intersectional Analysis of Intraminority Stigma Experiences and Community Involvement Among Young, Middle-Aged, and Older Gay Men. Journal Of Homosexuality 2026, ahead-of-print: 1-31. PMID: 42119058, PMCID: PMC13170122, DOI: 10.1080/00918369.2026.2663837.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsOlder gay menGay menCommunity involvementIntersectional analysisWell-being of gay menYoung gay menAssociated with community involvementMinority stress theoryPsychosocial Well-BeingStigma experiencesGay spacesGay communityIntersectional researchSocioeconomic statusGender expressionExpressed stigmaBody stigmaCommunity normsStress theoryLow statusBody size/shapeStigmaLow socioeconomic statusMental healthCross-sectional studyLongitudinal Associations Between Dating App Use, Sexual Racism, and Mental Health Among Black and Latinx Gay and Bisexual Men: The Protective Roles of General Social Support and Identity-Specific Community Connection
Shepherd B, Parra L, Kipke M, Layland E. Longitudinal Associations Between Dating App Use, Sexual Racism, and Mental Health Among Black and Latinx Gay and Bisexual Men: The Protective Roles of General Social Support and Identity-Specific Community Connection. Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology 2026, 10.1037/cdp0000793. PMID: 41770145, PMCID: PMC12958461, DOI: 10.1037/cdp0000793.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsGeneral social supportSexual racismPsychological distressDating app useBisexual menCommunity connectionsSocial supportMental healthIndirect effectsElevation experimentsAssociated with psychological distressApp useSocial connectionsSocial support indicatorsSupportive social connectionsPsychological symptomsIdentity-specificLongitudinal associationsRacismDistressLatinxContextual factorsCohort studySupport indicatorsBlack
2026
Differences in eating and body image disturbances and sociocultural stressors in sexual minoritized men by sexual self-labels
Pasquariello K, Lee VA, Shepherd BF, Summersill A, Sahlan RN, Michon N, Dixit U, Henderson RR, Tylka T, He J, Barnhart WR. Differences in eating and body image disturbances and sociocultural stressors in sexual minoritized men by sexual self-labels. Discover Mental Health 2026 DOI: 10.1007/s44192-026-00530-4.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchClarifying the Association Between Proximal Minority Stress and Relationship Satisfaction Among Partnered Latter-day Saint Sexual Minoritized Adults: The Roles of Authenticity and Community Connectedness
Shepherd B, Skidmore S, Sorrell S, Lefevor G, Brochu P. Clarifying the Association Between Proximal Minority Stress and Relationship Satisfaction Among Partnered Latter-day Saint Sexual Minoritized Adults: The Roles of Authenticity and Community Connectedness. Journal Of Social And Personal Relationships 2026, 10.1177/02654075261444807. PMID: 42158160, PMCID: PMC13183409, DOI: 10.1177/02654075261444807.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsProximal minority stressCommunity connectednessMinority stressInternalized homonegativityRelationship satisfactionCouple-level interventionsMinority stress theoryAssociated with lower relationship satisfactionRelational-cultural theoryStatistical mediationLower relationship satisfactionCross-sectional mediationIdentity concealmentModerated mediation analysisRomantic connectionsLevel of connectednessHomonegativitySPSS PROCESS macroRelationship difficultiesGroup membershipMediation analysisIndirect pathsPROCESS macroCommunityConnectednessBeyond “Not My Type”: A Quantitative Examination of Intraminority Stigma Among Gay Men Who Use Dating Apps
Shepherd B, Tidwell C, Layland E, Maki J, Brochu P. Beyond “Not My Type”: A Quantitative Examination of Intraminority Stigma Among Gay Men Who Use Dating Apps. Psychology Of Sexual Orientation And Gender Diversity 2026, 13: 137-149. DOI: 10.1037/sgd0000715.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsGay menDating appsOlder gay menWhite gay menYoung gay menExperiences of stigmaGay communityGay cultureIntersectional researchGender expressionDiverse identitiesExpressed stigmaAge stigmaGayContextual evidenceStigmaWell-beingFrequent experiencesSocioeconomic statusPhysical well-beingGlobal COVID-19 pandemicOnline datingGenderStress theoryCOVID-19 pandemicIntraminority Body Stigma and Body Dissatisfaction Clarify the Prospective Link Between LGBTQ+ Community Involvement and Thinness‐Oriented Disordered Eating in Sexual Minoritized Men
Barnhart W, Shepherd B, Dixit U, Costello K, Convertino A, Brown T, Braden A, Nagata J, He J. Intraminority Body Stigma and Body Dissatisfaction Clarify the Prospective Link Between LGBTQ+ Community Involvement and Thinness‐Oriented Disordered Eating in Sexual Minoritized Men. International Journal Of Eating Disorders 2026, 59: 753-765. PMID: 41486107, PMCID: PMC13082377, DOI: 10.1002/eat.70018.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsBody dissatisfactionDisordered EatingMuscularity-oriented disordered eatingMediated pathwaySerial mediation modelBody stigmaEating concernsProspective linksCommunity involvementMediation modelSerial mediationLongitudinal associationsBody imageEatingBody idealsSignificant mediation pathwaysLGBTQ+ individualsTwo-hundredDissatisfactionMuscular modelFollow-upStigmaBaselineLGBTQ+Mediators
2025
O te peinas, o te haces rolos: Intersectional Discrimination, Identity Conflict, and Mental Health Among Latinx Sexual Minoritized Adults
Shepherd B, Rentería R, Rosario C, Brochu P. O te peinas, o te haces rolos: Intersectional Discrimination, Identity Conflict, and Mental Health Among Latinx Sexual Minoritized Adults. Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology 2025, 31: 138-150. PMID: 37668577, DOI: 10.1037/cdp0000621.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsIdentity conflictIntersectional discriminationSexual identityAssociated with depressionMinority stress theoryMental health inequalitiesPeople of colorCulturally responsive interventionsHeterosexist discriminationMental health outcomesMinority stressorsHealth inequalitiesEthnic discriminationGenerational statusLatinx communitiesResponse interventionsLatinxConflictClinically significant depression scoresLatinx adultsMediation modelStatistical mediationCross-sectional sampleHealth outcomesMental health
2024
Out of the Closet, but Not Out of the Woods: The Longitudinal Associations Between Identity Disclosure, Discrimination, and Nonsuicidal Self-Injury Among Sexual Minoritized Young Adults
Shepherd B, Chang C, Dyar C, Brochu P, Selby E, Feinstein B. Out of the Closet, but Not Out of the Woods: The Longitudinal Associations Between Identity Disclosure, Discrimination, and Nonsuicidal Self-Injury Among Sexual Minoritized Young Adults. Psychology Of Sexual Orientation And Gender Diversity 2024, 11: 294-304. PMID: 39220295, PMCID: PMC11361724, DOI: 10.1037/sgd0000597.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsSexual identity disclosureNon-Suicidal Self-InjuryIdentity disclosureSelf-injurySexual orientation-based discriminationSexual orientation disparitiesYoung adultsBaseline levels of depressionLongitudinal associationsExposure to discriminationNonsuicidal Self-InjuryIndirect effectsTwo-month follow-upLevels of depressionHeterosexual peersAffirmative practiceOne-month follow-upOrientation disparitiesAssociated with greater likelihoodMinoritized identitiesLevel of discriminationMinoritized individualsBaseline levelsHigher level of disclosurePartial support
Academic Achievements & Community Involvement
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Honors
honor Enoch Gordis Research Recognition Award
06/26/2024National AwardResearch Society on Alcohol (RSA)DetailsUnited Stateshonor Distinguished Student Contribution Award
05/10/2024National AwardAmerican Psychological Association (APA) Division 44 (Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity)DetailsUnited Stateshonor Doctoral Student Small Grants Program
04/01/2023Other AwardResearch Society on Alcohol (RSA)DetailsUnited Stateshonor Student Research Award
03/27/2023Other AwardNova Southeastern University, Department of Clinical and School PsychologyDetailsUnited States
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Contacts
Locations
Yale LGBTQ Mental Health Initiative
Lab
276 5th Avenue
New York, NY 10001
Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS (CIRA)
Lab
Yale School of Public Health (LEPH)
60 College Street
New Haven, CT 06510