Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors in Sexual Minority Men: Associations of Gender Role Conflict and Internalized Sexual Stigma
Abstract
Sexual minority youth and adults have disproportionately high rates of suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) compared to their heterosexual counterparts (Ream, 2019). Much research on LGBTQ experiences of STBs has focused on the disparity between LGBTQ and non-LGBTQ samples (Ream, 2019). Little research has focused on sexual minority populations inclusive of those identified as sexual minorities and gender minorities (e.g., gay or bisexual non-binary men). Additionally, a limited number of LGBTQ-specific constructs have been linked to increased suicidal ideation and behavior in these populations. Internalized sexual stigma has been identified as a correlate to STBs in sexual minority individuals (Plöderl et al., 2014).Separately, gender role conflict is correlated with suicidal ideation in samples of heterosexual, cisgender men (Jacobson et al., 2011; O’Beaglaoich et al., 2020). These constructs have not been examined together alongside suicidal ideation in LGBTQ samples. As such, this study explored the associations between level of male self-identification, internalized sexual stigma, gender role conflict, and suicidal ideation severity in a sample of sexual minority men and sexual minority non-binary men.A sample of 104 participants was recruited through Reddit and completed self-report measures of male self-identification, gender role conflict, internalized stigma, and suicidal ideation severity. It was hypothesized that level of male identification, internalized sexual stigma, gender role conflict, and suicidal ideation severity would all be positively associated. It was also hypothesized that gender role conflict would moderate the positive association between level of male identification and suicidal ideation severity and that internalized sexual stigma would moderate the positive association between gender role conflict and suicidal ideation severity. Results indicated that gender role conflict and internalized sexual stigma were associated with suicidal ideation severity in independent models but not when modeled together. Additionally, no moderations were found between our variables. Overall, these results indicate that internalized sexual stigma and gender role conflict may contribute to a shared mechanism of influencing suicidal ideation severity.
Subject Area
Clinical psychology|Gender studies|LGBTQ studies
Recommended Citation
DeSon, Joshua, "Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors in Sexual Minority Men: Associations of Gender Role Conflict and Internalized Sexual Stigma" (2021). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI28650939.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI28650939
