10 research outputs found
Negative parental responses to coming out and family functioning in a sample of lesbian and gay young adults
Parental responses to youths' coming out (CO) are crucial to the subsequent adjustment of children and family. The present study investigated the negative parental reaction to the disclosure of same-sex attraction and the differences between maternal
and paternal responses, as reported by their homosexual daughters and sons. Participants' perceptions of their parents' reactions (evaluated through the Perceived Parental Reactions Scale, PPRS), age at coming out, gender, parental political
orientation, and religiosity involvement, the family functioning (assessed through the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales, FACES IV), were assessed in 164 Italian gay and lesbian young adults. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to assess the relation between family functioning and parental reaction to CO. The paired sample t-test was used to compare mothers and fathers' scores on the PPRS. Hierarchical multiple regression was conducted to analyze the relevance of each variable. No differences were found between mothers and fathers in their reaction to the disclosure. The analysis showed that a negative reaction to coming out was predicted by parents' right-wing political conservatism, strong religious beliefs, and
higher scores in the scales Rigid and Enmeshed. Findings confirm that a negative parental reaction is the result of poor family resources to face a stressful situation and a strong belief in traditional values. These results have important implications in both clinical and social fields
Gender Nonconformity, Discrimination, and Mental Health Among Black South African Men Who Have Sex with Men: A Further Exploration of Unexpected Findings
Using data from a study about HIV risk among Black South African MSM, we aimed to ascertain whether
unexpected findings about the relationship between gender nonconformity, discrimination, and mental
health in this population, as reported by Cook, Sandfort, Nel, and Rich (2013), could be replicated, and to
explore more in-depth how gender nonconformity relates to health. Cook et al. found that feminine men
were not more likely to be depressed despite the observation that they were more likely to be discriminated against and that discrimination increased the likelihood of depression. This is in contrast to what studies
among gay and bisexual men in Western countries have consistently shown. In the current study, 196 Black
South African MSM (ages between 18 and 40; mean age, 26.65 years) were surveyed. Assessments included
stressors (identity confusion, internalized homophobia, and sexual orientation-based discrimination) and
resilience factors (openness about one’s sexual orientation, social support, and identification with the gay
community). We observed that gender-nonconforming men were not more likely to be depressed despite
having experienced more discrimination, which was associated with depression. The same relationships
were observed when considering anxiety as the mental health outcome. We found an indirect negative effect
of gender nonconformity on depression through internalized homophobia, suggesting that, in this
population, internalized homophobia masks the effect of discrimination on mental distress. Implications for
the sexual minority stress model, used to guide our analyses, are discussed. Further research is needed to
disentangle the complex relationship between gender nonconformity and mental health among MSM
populations.The study was supported by a grant from amfAR (106973; Principal Investigator: Theo Sandfort, Ph.D.) with additional support from a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (R01-MH083557; Principal Investigator: Theo Sandfort, Ph.D.). The HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies is supported by a center grant from
the National Institute of Mental Health, P30 MH43520 (Principal Investigator: Robert Remien, Ph.D.).http://link.springer.com/journal/105082017-04-30hb2016School of Health Systems and Public Health (SHSPH