Disaggregating the Monolith: Identity Nuances among Sexual and Gender Minoritized Individuals in the Study and Treatment of Self-injurious Thoughts and Behaviors
1 - (Sym 115) Understanding Self-injurious Thoughts and Behaviors Among Individuals with Discordant and Concordant Sexual Minority Status: An Examination of Underlying Mechanisms
Sunday, November 20, 2022
10:00 AM – 11:30 AM EST
Location: Ziegfeld, 4th Floor
Keywords: LGBTQ+, Suicide, Self-Injury Recommended Readings: Meyer, I. H. (2003). Prejudice, social stress, and mental health in lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations: Conceptual issues and research evidence. Psychological Bulletin, 129(5), 674–697. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.129.5.674 Savin-Williams, R. C. (2006). Who's gay? Does it matter?. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 15(1), 40-44. Fox, K. R., Hooley, J. M., Smith, D. M., Ribeiro, J. D., Huang, X., Nock, M. K., & Franklin, J. C. (2018). Self-injurious thoughts and behaviors may be more common and severe among people identifying as a sexual minority. Behavior Therapy, 49(5), 768-780.
Professor and Chair, Department of Psychology University of Toledo Toledo, Ohio
Sexual minorities are at increased risk for a variety of self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITBs; Fox et al., 2018; Liu et al., 2019). However, recent research has demonstrated the importance of nuanced measurements of sexual minority status, as the risk for SITBs within the sexual minority community varies depending on how sexual minority status is measured (e.g., sexual attraction versus sexual identity; Mann et al., 2020). Notably, the utilization of multiple measures to identify sexual minorities has identified a new group—those with discordant sexual minority status (DSMS; i.e., sexual minority attraction with sexual majority identity, or vice versa). Individuals with DSMS are understudied within both the sexual minority literature and in the context of SITBs and factors that may underlie SITB risk (e.g., explanatory factors identified in the minority stress theory, experiential avoidance model, and interpersonal theory of suicide; Chapman et al., 2006; Joiner et al., 2009; Meyer, 2003). Thus, this study examined differences in SITBs between individuals with DSMS, concordant sexual minority status (i.e., individuals with sexual minority attraction and sexual minority identity), and concordant sexual majority status, as well as the extent to which these differences are explained by key explanatory factors identified in the aforementioned theories. We recruited 448 community adults across the three groups of interest: DSMS (N=145), concordant sexual minority status (N=146), and concordant sexual majority status (N=157). Participants completed self-report measures and implicit association tests assessing SITBs and theoretically-derived risk factors. Results indicated significant differences between individuals with concordant sexual minority status versus individuals with DSMS and concordant sexual majority status, such that those with concordant sexual minority status had greater SITBs, perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness, and emotion regulation difficulties. There were few differences between the concordant sexual majority status and DSMS groups. Notably, several variables from the interpersonal theory of suicide, experiential avoidance model, and minority stress theory accounted for significant variance in the relations between group status and at least one examined SITB outcome variable. Findings shed light on the factors that may explain heightened risk for SITBs among individuals with concordant sexual minority status, and add to the literature on the relation of DSMS to SITB risk.