Identity Stigma and Stress Among LGBTQ Population: The Mediating Role of Chronic Strain

Background/purpose: Stigmatization, negative perception, and unfair treatment negatively impact the psychological health of lesbian, gay, bisexual and questioning (LGBTQ) people (CDC, 2016). Identity stigma is associated with an increased health behaviors such as depression, suicide, drug abuse, and risky sexual behaviors (CDC, 2016). These factors cause collective chronic strain in regards to employment, family and school systems because of rejection and other forms of stereotypes. This study examined whether stigmatization was associated with stress among LGBTQ population, and if yes, how such association contributed to chronic strain.

Method:  The sample was drawn from Stress, Identity, and Mental Health (STRIDE), a longitudinal design with measures at baseline and after a one-year follow-up of 525 men and women between the ages 18 and 59 residing in New York City area. Baseline interviewing began in February 2004 and was completed in January 2005. The main independent variable, stigma measures included a scale that assessed expectations of rejection and discrimination based on one’s homosexuality. This was measured by several questions on a 4-point Likert scale 1=Agree strongly to 4= disagree strongly. The outcome variable, stress, (measured: source, centrality, magnitude, and prejudice). Chronic strain measures explored substance abuse by parent, continuous movement as a child, separated from birth parents and being shunned by family members due to sexual orientation. Sum scores were calculated for identity stigma, stress, and chronic strain respectively, with higher scores indicating higher levels of these measures. Control variables included age, gender, education, and race. Descriptive, and bivariate analyses were conducted to explore the data. Haye’s SPSS process was used for the mediation analysis

Results: The findings show that feeling stigmatized was statistically significantly associated with stress (b=.97, p<.001). Stigma to chronic strain (b=1.37, p<.001), and chronic strain to stress (b=.12, p<001) were also significant. After adding the mediating variable of chronic strain, stigma and stress were still statistically significant (b=.81, p<.001), but (b) reduced. The Sobel test confirmed that chronic strain partially mediated the association between stigma and stress (b=.16, z= 6.21, p<.001). Finally, the model accounted 62.6% of the variance in the outcome variable.

Conclusion. The findings of this study indicated that chronic strain partially mediated the relationship between stigma and stress among the LGBT population. This indicates that identity stigma alone did not sufficiently explain presents of stress among LGBTQ but chronic strain partially accounted for the impact of stigma on stress.  These findings can inform social work professionals working with LGBTQ, population in developing interventions to reduce these stressors and provide support to increases personal self-esteem, psychological well-being and positive self-compassion.