This study identifies the predictors of depressive symptomatology in Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people in the UK. 289 White and BAME LGB individuals participated in a cross-sectional survey. BAME participants exhibited significantly more discrimination, rejection from significant others, ethnic victimization, internalized homophobia and concealment motivation than White participants. They manifested greater internalized homophobia, less outness and greater drug use than White participants. Outness was associated with less depressive symptomatology, and internalized homophobia and victimization with more depressive symptomatology. The structural equation model showed a significant effect of ethnicity on depressive symptomatology. This relationship was mediated by the situational stressors, the psychological schemata and coping variables. Consistent with the cognitive-behavioral model, the results indicate that exposure to situational stressors can increase the risk of developing a self-hatred and depressive psychological self-schema, maladaptive coping strategies and depressive symptomatology in BAME LGB people in the UK.
Mental health inequalities among Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) people from lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) communities persist and remain under-researched. This study is the first in the UK to explore, from the perspective of service providers, minority stress experienced by BAME LGB people. Twenty-three participants were interviewed and data were analysed using qualitative thematic analysis. Minority stress theory was utilised to inform the analysis, yielding the following themes: (1) Stress induced by conflicting sociocultural norms, (2) interpersonal inhibitors of coming out, (3) and problematic coping. BAME LGB individuals are exposed to stressors due to their intersecting sexual, gender, religious, and cultural identities. Major psychological stressors include stigmatised identity, expectations of a heterosexual marriage, and maladaptive coping strategies. This study sheds light on the potential steps that can be taken to ensure effective coping responses among BAME LGB people.
Background: Poor mental health is prevalent in lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people due in part to social stigma. The social, psychological and clinical risk factors for self-harm among LGB people are unclear, which limits our ability to predict when and how this will occur and, crucially, how to prevent it. Aims: Drawing on the cognitive-behavioral approach in clinical psychology, this study identifies the predictors of self-harm in LGB people in the United Kingdom. Results: Women, lesbians, those with lower income and younger people were more likely to engage in self-harm. Self-harmers exhibited much more discrimination, LGB victimization and, thus, internalized homophobia and depressive symptomatology than non-self-harmers. The structural equation model showed direct effects of age and gender, and indirect effects of income and sexual orientation, on self-harm, through the mediating variables of discrimination, LGB victimization and internalized homophobia. Conclusions: Consistent with the cognitive-behavioral model, the results indicate that exposure to situational stressors can increase the risk of developing a self-hatred and depressive psychological self-schema, resulting in greater risk of self-harm as a maladaptive coping strategy. An integrative clinical intervention for enhancing psychological wellbeing in LGB people is proposed to mitigate the risk of self-harm in this population.
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