Predicting Self‐Esteem, Well‐Being, and Distress in a Cohort of Gay Men: The Importance of Cultural Stigma, Personal Visibility, Community Networks, and Positive Identity

Abstract

Homosexual and bisexual men (N = 825) enrolled in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study in Chicago completed a 90-minute self-administered questionnaire that included the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, a Well-Being Index, and the Hopkins Symptom Checklist. Participants indicated their experiences with gay stigma, their visibility as gay men, their involvement in the gay community, and their commitment to a positive gay identity. Data from this predominantly white, young, educated, and middle-class cohort are consistent with a structural model in which cultural stigma is negatively associated with positive self-perceptions. This within-group result contrasts sharply with between-group results that indicate our gay cohort was neither particularly low in global self-esteem nor high in psychological distress when compared to nonstigmatized samples.

Intention to quit smoking among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender smokers

“…To tap participants ' experiences as LGBT identifi ed, we included six items adapted from a prior study of gay men ( Stall et al, 2001 ) -for example, number of people within one ' s social circle who are living with HIV, how " out " to others the person is regarding degree of disclosure about sexual or gender identity, and experiences of verbal harassment or physical violence as a consequence of being LGBT. To assess perceived stigma for being LGBT, we used fi ve items ( a = .87) from the Measures of Daily Gay Life ( Frable, Wortman, & Joseph, 1997 ). ( Cohen, Kamarck, & Mermelstein, 1983 ) measured the degree to which situations in one ' s life are appraised as stressful ( a = .81).…”

Clinical issues in working with lesbian, gay, and bisexual clients.

“…It has been observed that such manifestations may include one or more defensive strategies, such as seeking reparative therapy to eliminate homosexual feelings; assuming an antihomosexual stance; controlling information about oneself; escaping through substance abuse; indicating that one is just passing through a phase; immersing oneself in a heterosexual identity (e.g., getting married to an opposite-sex partner); defining situations rather than sexual orientation as the cause of homosexual feelings or activities ("I only had sex with him because I was drunk"); compensating for perceived defectiveness by devoting enormous energy to career or academic success; and crusading against LGB causes and individuals (Cass, 1979;Ritter & Terndrup, 2002;Stein & Cabaj, 1996;Troiden, 1979). In coming out, individuals can display any range of negative psychological symptoms, especially if there is a lack of support during the process (Frable, Wortman, & Joseph, 1997). It has been suggested that the best predictor of adjustment to one's LGB identity, however, is the client's functioning prior to coming out rather than the presenting symptomatology (Gonsiorek & Rudolph, 1991).…”

Prejudice, social stress, and mental health in lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations: Conceptual issues and research evidence.

“…These studies have identified minority stress processes and often demonstrated that the greater the level of such stress, the greater the impact on mental health problems. Such studies have shown, for example, that stigma leads LGB persons to experience alienation, lack of integration with the community, and problems with self-acceptance (Frable, Wortman, & Joseph, 1997;Greenberg, 1973;Grossman & Kerner, 1998;Malyon, 1981Malyon, -1982Massey & Ouellette, 1996;Stokes & Peterson, 1998). Within-group studies have typically measured mental health outcomes using psychological scales (e.g., depressive symptoms) rather than the criteria-based mental disorders (e.g., major depressive disorder).…”