Growing stronger : coming out growth, social support, and spiritual wellbeing as protective factors in the LGBT experience of minority stress
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- Title
- Growing stronger : coming out growth, social support, and spiritual wellbeing as protective factors in the LGBT experience of minority stress
- Creator
- Elena Golovina
- Supervisor
- Dr. Felix de Beaumont
- Date
- 2015
- Abstract
-
Background information: While a significant body of psychology literature has investigated the impact of stress on growth, little research has been conducted with respect to the LGBT community. The process of coming out as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) is considered stressful (McCarn & Fassinger, 1996) and has been associated with an increased risk of discrimination, oppression, and violence (LaSala, 2000). However, stressful life events can support personal growth rather than hindering it (Tedeshi & Calhoun, 2004). Aim: This study aims to investigate the role of potential protective factors, such as spiritual well being, coming out growth, and social support, in moderating experiences of minority stress in LGBT individuals. Participants: 85 LGBT individuals, aged 18 to 62 years (M= 30, SD= 10.3); 40 were male, 34 female, 6 transgender, 4 genderqueer, and 1 other. The majority were gay 44%, bisexual 30% and lesbian 15%. Method: Participants completed a series of online questionnaires related to experiencing minority stress, coming out growth, spiritual well being, and social support. Results: The multiple regression analyses indicated that the number of people in a social support network is a significant predictor of minority stress, but not of spiritual well being or overall satisfaction with social support. Minority stress, spiritual well being, and satisfaction with social support were all significant predictors of coming out growth. Conclusions/Implications: The results from this study can benefit psychology practitioners working with LGBT individuals to direct and guide evidence-based individual interventions along a process of growth in response to stress and adversity.
Keywords: LGBT, Minority Stress, Coming Out Growth, Spiritual Well Being, Social
Support. - Subject
- Coming out (Sexual orientation)
- Stress (Psychology)
- Growth, Personal
- Extent
- 68 pages
- Format
- Publisher
- Regent's University
- degree
- MSc Psychology
- Language
- English
- Type
- Thesis & Dissertation
- Item sets
- Theses or Dissertation