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The Role of Religion and Stress in Sexual Identity and Mental Health Among Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Youth
Author(s) -
Page Matthew J. L.,
Lindahl Kristin M.,
Malik Neena M.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of research on adolescence
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.342
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1532-7795
pISSN - 1050-8392
DOI - 10.1111/jora.12025
Subject(s) - lesbian , psychology , mental health , sexual identity , minority stress , stressor , homosexuality , clinical psychology , identity (music) , sexual orientation , developmental psychology , sexual minority , social psychology , human sexuality , psychiatry , gender studies , psychoanalysis , sociology , physics , acoustics
This study investigated religious stress, gay‐related stress, sexual identity, and mental health outcomes in lesbian, gay, and bisexual ( LGB ) adolescents and emerging adults. The model examined negative LGB identity as a mediator of the relationships between (1) religious stress and mental health, and (2) gay‐related stress and mental health. The data indicated that negative LGB identity fully accounted for both relationships. Findings suggest that a negative sense of sexual identity for LGB youth helps explain the links between religious and gay‐related stressors and mental health. As LGB youth may have limited control over these stressors, the importance of helping LGB youth maintain a positive LGB identity, despite homonegative messages from others, is discussed.