Shame and Psychosocial Development in Religiously Affiliated Sexual Minority Women

Abstract

Shame and psychosocial developmental difficulties are issues of concern for many sexual minority women most likely due to the negative impact of heterosexism, internalized homophobia, sexual stigma, religious affiliation, and sexual minority stress. This study hypothesizes that religiously affiliated sexual minority women, when compared to non-sexual minority women, would show significantly higher levels of shame and lower levels of psychosocial development. This sample’s shame and psychosocial resolution scores all fell within the spectrum of normative levels for non-clinical samples of women. Significant differences between sexual status groups were found on shame and total negative psychosocial resolution, but effect size was small. It was also hypothesized that stages of psychosocial development, sexual status, and history of counseling would predict trait shame in religiously affiliated women. Psychosocial development was the sole significant and strong predictor, suggesting that the strong relationship between psychosocial development and shame is present regardless of a female’s sexual identity. For sexual minority women, identity/identity confusion, trust/mistrust, and autonomy/shame and doubt, accounted for 64% of shame variance. This sample was heavily weighted with women who reported same-sex attraction or same-sex behavior but who dis-identified as a sexual minority.

Homonegativity and the Black Church: Is Congregational Variation the Missing Link?

“…When held by heterosexual individuals, homonegative attitudes may lead to discrimination in housing or the workplace, social ostracization, or even violence aimed at LGBQ individuals (Feinstein et al, 2012). When held by LGBQ individuals about their own same-sex attractions or experiences, homonegative attitudes may perpetuate shame, self-hatred, and internal conflict (Hallman et al, 2018), making it more difficult to seek and receive social support (Grey et al, 2013). Guided by minority stress theory (Meyer, 2003) and attention to structural stigma (Hatzenbuehler, 2009), homonegative attitudes and the processes they trigger have been positively associated with depression, anxiety, and a number of other mental health concerns among LGBQ individuals (Grey et al, 2013; Newcomb & Mustanski, 2010).…”

Domains related to four single/relationship options among sexual minorities raised conservatively religious.

“…Although not included in Rodriguez et al's (2000) framework, individuals' beliefs and perceptions about their same-sex attractions may impact both their mental health and the types of relationships they pursue (i.e., homopositivity/-negativity; Newcomb & Mustanski, 2010). Although some sexual minorities' homonegative beliefs can represent principled religious convictions rather than shame or self-loathing (e.g., Hallman, Yarhouse, & Suárez, 2018), structural or external homonegativity may keep other sexual minorities from embracing a sexual minority identity and pursuing SSRs (Hatzenbuehler, 2009). Sexual minorities with an insecure, anxious attachment to their parents are more likely to fear judgment based on their orientation and less likely to identify with or interact with others in the LGB community (Mohr & Fassinger, 2003), which may hinder them from developing an SSR.…”