Associations between Sexual Minority Identities, Heterosexism, Identity Concealment, and Depression in Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Emerging Adults: Adjusting for the Effects of General Stressors

Abstract

Objectives: Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals experience stressors distinctively tied to their sexual identities, such as externalized and internalized heterosexism and identity concealment, which are correlated with increased psychological distress, including depression. The present study examined the variance in depression scores resulting from heterosexism, LGB identity concealment, and minority sexual identities, after adjusting for race/ethnicity and interpersonal violence victimization experiences.

Methods: Participants were 277 LGB emerging adults 18 to 29 years old (mean 25.39, standard deviation 2.77; 46 lesbian women, 71 gay men) recruited from an online platform.

Results: Nearly 41% reported moderate to severe depression symptoms. A two-step hierarchical regression model examining the effect of sexual minority stressors, heterosexism, LGB identity concealment, and minority sexual identity on depression after controlling for childhood maltreatment and face-to-face intimate partner violence types was significant. Bisexual women (vs gay men), those with greater exposure to heterosexism, and those with a greater degree of identity concealment experienced significantly higher scores on depression. In addition, being a person of color (including identifying as Hispanic), exposure to childhood maltreatment, and experiencing psychological intimate partner violence significantly predicted increases in depression scores.

Conclusions: Findings emphasize the importance of assessing minority stressors and taking them into account when providing clinical interventions to LGB individuals.