Discrimination Leads to Internalized Homophobia, Increased Suicide Risk for Sexual Minorities

A recent article, published in the Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, examined the relationships between external minority stressors, internalized homophobia, LGBT community connectedness, and suicidal ideation. The researchers suggest that internalized homophobia is accounted for by greater external minority stressors and can lead to a higher rate of suicidal ideation. Their analysis also highlights the importance of LGBT community connectedness in mitigating the effects of these stressors. “Most research to date has focused on factors exacerbating poor mental health outcomes and suicidality among sexual minority individuals, with relatively little attention paid to potential resiliency factors proposed by the minority stress model, especially resiliency factors related to one’s affiliation within the LGBT community,” the lead researcher, Megan Rogers from Florida State University, writes.