Discrimination and Mental Health: Mediation Effects of Coping Strategies in LGB and Heterosexual Youth

Daniela Fonseca de Freitas; Cláudia Silva; Susana Coimbra

doi:10.7764/psykhe.2018.22185

Discrimination and Mental Health: Mediation Effects of Coping Strategies in LGB and Heterosexual Youth

Daniela Fonseca de Freitas, Cláudia Silva, Susana Coimbra

Psychological Medicine

Centre for Psychology at University of Porto, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

3 Citations (Scopus)

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Abstract

Previous studies reveal that the negative effect of discrimination on mental health is particularly pernicious among stigmatised minorities. However, research also points out the importance of protection mechanisms that may buffer its effect. This study aimed to explore the relationships between mental health, perceived discrimination, and coping strategies of positive reframing and self-blame in LGB and heterosexual youth. Data were collected through a paper and pencil and an online survey administered to 195 Portuguese adolescents and young adults. The survey covered mental health (Mental Health Inventory-5), discrimination (Everyday Discrimination Scale), and coping strategies (Brief COPE). Of the sample, 73.3% were women and 51.8% self-identified as lesbian, gay or bisexual (LGB). Analyses of variance show that LGB participants have experienced more discrimination than their heterosexual counterparts. There was no difference in the levels of mental health and the use of self-blame or positive reframing coping strategies. Regression analyses reveal that perceived discrimination and self-blame contribute to the worsening of the mental health of LGB and heterosexual youth. Positive reframing coping was a predictor of mental health only in LGB participants, a strategy that contributed to their resilience in the face of discrimination. Additionally, only LGB participants displayed an indirect effect of discrimination on mental health, partially mediated by self-blame coping. Results corroborate previous findings that suggest that perceived discrimination has a more deleterious effect for members of a minority group and support the psychological mediation framework regarding the effect of discrimination on mental health in stigmatised groups.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1-18
Number of pages	18
Journal	Psykhe
Volume	30
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.7764/psykhe.2018.22185
Publication status	Published - May 2021

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10.7764/psykhe.2018.22185

Freitas, Silva, Coimbra_2021

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title = "Discrimination and Mental Health: Mediation Effects of Coping Strategies in LGB and Heterosexual Youth",

abstract = "Previous studies reveal that the negative effect of discrimination on mental health is particularly pernicious among stigmatised minorities. However, research also points out the importance of protection mechanisms that may buffer its effect. This study aimed to explore the relationships between mental health, perceived discrimination, and coping strategies of positive reframing and self-blame in LGB and heterosexual youth. Data were collected through a paper and pencil and an online survey administered to 195 Portuguese adolescents and young adults. The survey covered mental health (Mental Health Inventory-5), discrimination (Everyday Discrimination Scale), and coping strategies (Brief COPE). Of the sample, 73.3% were women and 51.8% self-identified as lesbian, gay or bisexual (LGB). Analyses of variance show that LGB participants have experienced more discrimination than their heterosexual counterparts. There was no difference in the levels of mental health and the use of self-blame or positive reframing coping strategies. Regression analyses reveal that perceived discrimination and self-blame contribute to the worsening of the mental health of LGB and heterosexual youth. Positive reframing coping was a predictor of mental health only in LGB participants, a strategy that contributed to their resilience in the face of discrimination. Additionally, only LGB participants displayed an indirect effect of discrimination on mental health, partially mediated by self-blame coping. Results corroborate previous findings that suggest that perceived discrimination has a more deleterious effect for members of a minority group and support the psychological mediation framework regarding the effect of discrimination on mental health in stigmatised groups.",

author = "{Fonseca de Freitas}, Daniela and Cl{\'a}udia Silva and Susana Coimbra",

note = "Funding Information: This work was supported by the fellowships awarded to the first author by the Portuguese Science Foundation (SFRH/BD/79575/2011) and the International Students{\textquoteright} USP Grant Program (2014.1.3765.1.1). Additionally, this work was supported by funds attributed to the Centre for Psychology at the University of Porto by the Portuguese Science Foundation (CPUP UID/PSI/00050/2013; FEDER/COMPETE2020 POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007294). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2020 by Psykhe Copyright: Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.",

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N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by the fellowships awarded to the first author by the Portuguese Science Foundation (SFRH/BD/79575/2011) and the International Students’ USP Grant Program (2014.1.3765.1.1). Additionally, this work was supported by funds attributed to the Centre for Psychology at the University of Porto by the Portuguese Science Foundation (CPUP UID/PSI/00050/2013; FEDER/COMPETE2020 POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007294). Publisher Copyright: © 2020 by Psykhe Copyright: Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

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N2 - Previous studies reveal that the negative effect of discrimination on mental health is particularly pernicious among stigmatised minorities. However, research also points out the importance of protection mechanisms that may buffer its effect. This study aimed to explore the relationships between mental health, perceived discrimination, and coping strategies of positive reframing and self-blame in LGB and heterosexual youth. Data were collected through a paper and pencil and an online survey administered to 195 Portuguese adolescents and young adults. The survey covered mental health (Mental Health Inventory-5), discrimination (Everyday Discrimination Scale), and coping strategies (Brief COPE). Of the sample, 73.3% were women and 51.8% self-identified as lesbian, gay or bisexual (LGB). Analyses of variance show that LGB participants have experienced more discrimination than their heterosexual counterparts. There was no difference in the levels of mental health and the use of self-blame or positive reframing coping strategies. Regression analyses reveal that perceived discrimination and self-blame contribute to the worsening of the mental health of LGB and heterosexual youth. Positive reframing coping was a predictor of mental health only in LGB participants, a strategy that contributed to their resilience in the face of discrimination. Additionally, only LGB participants displayed an indirect effect of discrimination on mental health, partially mediated by self-blame coping. Results corroborate previous findings that suggest that perceived discrimination has a more deleterious effect for members of a minority group and support the psychological mediation framework regarding the effect of discrimination on mental health in stigmatised groups.

AB - Previous studies reveal that the negative effect of discrimination on mental health is particularly pernicious among stigmatised minorities. However, research also points out the importance of protection mechanisms that may buffer its effect. This study aimed to explore the relationships between mental health, perceived discrimination, and coping strategies of positive reframing and self-blame in LGB and heterosexual youth. Data were collected through a paper and pencil and an online survey administered to 195 Portuguese adolescents and young adults. The survey covered mental health (Mental Health Inventory-5), discrimination (Everyday Discrimination Scale), and coping strategies (Brief COPE). Of the sample, 73.3% were women and 51.8% self-identified as lesbian, gay or bisexual (LGB). Analyses of variance show that LGB participants have experienced more discrimination than their heterosexual counterparts. There was no difference in the levels of mental health and the use of self-blame or positive reframing coping strategies. Regression analyses reveal that perceived discrimination and self-blame contribute to the worsening of the mental health of LGB and heterosexual youth. Positive reframing coping was a predictor of mental health only in LGB participants, a strategy that contributed to their resilience in the face of discrimination. Additionally, only LGB participants displayed an indirect effect of discrimination on mental health, partially mediated by self-blame coping. Results corroborate previous findings that suggest that perceived discrimination has a more deleterious effect for members of a minority group and support the psychological mediation framework regarding the effect of discrimination on mental health in stigmatised groups.

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Discrimination and Mental Health: Mediation Effects of Coping Strategies in LGB and Heterosexual Youth

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