Internalized Stigma and Psychological Well-Being in Gay Men and Lesbians in Italy and Belgium

Abstract

Several studies have shown that internalized homophobia is a risk factor for mental health illness in homosexual individuals, whereas the perception of social support is a protective factor for their psychological well-being. In line with those studies, the present research has investigated the levels of internalized homophobia, anxiety, depression and social support, among two groups of gay men and lesbian individuals living in two European countries (N = 194: 86 Italian and 108 Belgian), where legislations grant different civil rights to lesbian and gay individuals (LG). The main goal of this research has been to verify the possible differences between the two groups. Results showed some significant differences in terms of observed levels of internalized homophobia, which was higher in the Belgian gay men’s group compared to the Italian one. Furthermore, path analysis emphasized the role of social support as a potential factor of mediation between internalized homophobia and mental health

Internalized homophobia and depression levels in LGBT individuals

“…Yalçınoğlu and Önal in their work with 210 gay men stated that depression was higher in individuals with internalized homophobia than those without. 4 In a study conducted with gay men and lesbians in 2015, Lorenzi et al 5 reported a positive correlation between internalized homophobia and anxiety and depression levels. 5 A meta-analysis study that Semiyen et al 6 conducted in England, found that adults described as gay, lesbian, and bisexual have lower mental health and lower well-being, compared to heterosexual adults.…”

“…4 In a study conducted with gay men and lesbians in 2015, Lorenzi et al 5 reported a positive correlation between internalized homophobia and anxiety and depression levels. 5 A meta-analysis study that Semiyen et al 6 conducted in England, found that adults described as gay, lesbian, and bisexual have lower mental health and lower well-being, compared to heterosexual adults. Also another meta-analysis indicated that sexual minorities had a higher prevalence of lifelong suicidal attempts, compared to heterosexuals.…”

“…Individuals experiencing internalized homophobia may experience feelings of shame, embarrassment, anger, exclusion, and hopelessness. The social exclusion of LGBT individuals may make it difficult to cope with these emotions and increase these individuals’ risk of mental disorders 5 . Therefore, the determination of internalized homophobia, the presence of depression, and risk factors in LGBT individuals by mental health professionals within the scope of preventive mental health strategies important in the prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment of possible mental disorders.…”

The Desire of Parenthood: Intuitive Co-parental Behaviors and Quality of Couple Relationship among Italian and Belgian Same-Sex and Opposite-Sex Couples

“…The degree of internalized homophobia of Italian participants is significantly lower than for the Belgian ones. A previous study ( Lorenzi et al, 2015 ) already showed that Belgian lesbians and gay men express more internalized homophobia, despite Belgians live in a country with a more favorite legal environment for LG rights. Besides, the same study demonstrated that internalized homophobia had a strong relation with mental health disorders, such as anxiety and depression.…”

Being Different with Dignity: Buddhist Inclusiveness of Homosexuality

“…Such low self-esteem (McKee 2000) is usually translated into a fear of coming out, regret about being homosexual, and moral self-condemnation (Flebus and Montano 2012), directly associated with mental illnesses such as depression (Frost and Meyer 2009) and suicidal ideation (Pereira and Rodrigues 2015). All these phobias threaten the well-being of homosexuals (Lorenzi et al 2015;Ghorayeb and Dalgalarrondo 2010), as well as their life satisfaction (Fredriksen-Goldsen et al 2015;King et al 2003).…”