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Sexual minorities experience minority stress, which is associated with mental health disparities. However, specific dimensions of identity may buffer against these disparities. While research in other stigmatized populations has found evidence for direct and moderating effects of identity on mental health, limited research has examined these dimensions in sexual minorities. We explored the potential direct and moderating effects of identity dimensions with regards to sexual stigma and mental health. Findings from 209 lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals revealed higher centrality of sexual orientation identity and more positive private regard predicted lower psychological distress and more positive private regard predicted higher self-esteem. Additionally, centrality moderated the effect of public stigma, such that those who reported higher centrality did not report decrements to self-esteem in the face of public stigma to the extent of those with low centrality. Findings suggest centrality and private regard contribute to the psychological wellbeing of sexual minorities. [Article copies available for a fee from The Transformative Studies Institute. E-mail address: [email protected] Website: http://www.transformativestudies.org ©2021 by The Transformative Studies Institute. All rights reserved.]
KEYWORDS: Sexual Minorities, Minority Stress, Psychological Distress, Self-Esteem, Stigma.
Those who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) experience both distal (e.g., objective prejudice events) and proximal (e.g., internalized stigma, expectation of rejection) minority stress associated with negative mental health outcomes (e.g., distress; Meyer, "Minority Stress and Mental Health in Gay Men" 45) and self-esteem (Major and O'Brien 406). The link between minority stress and negative outcomes is supported by many empirical studies (e.g., Meyer, "Minority Stress and Mental Health in Gay Men" 45) and position papers that evidence stigma as a social determinant of health (Hatzenbuehler et al. 1). Yet, not all LGB individuals experience negative outcomes (Cochran et al. 58; Douglass et al. 5; Savin-Williams 7). The present research is based on the premise that specific identity characteristics may differentiate mental health outcomes for sexual minorities. For example, it has been found in other stigmatized groups, such as racial minorities, that identifying closely with similar others (i.e., those with the same stigmatizing characteristic) can buffer the effects of racial stigma resulting in fewer negative mental health outcomes and higher self-esteem (Carter and Reynolds 158; Mossakowski 325; Sellers et al., "Racial Identity, Racial Discrimination, Perceived Stress, and Psychological...