Research Information System
Thesis Type: Postgraduate
Institution Of The Thesis: Middle East Technical University, Graduate School of Social Sciences, Turkey
Approval Date: 2020
Thesis Language: English
Student: BERK CAN ÜNSAL
Supervisor: Özlem Bozo Özen
Abstract:The present master's thesis aimed to investigate the relations between minority stress processes (i.e., distal stressors and proximal stressors) and mental health outcomes (i.e., depression, anxiety, and non-suicidal self-injury [NSSI]) as well as the mediating roles of shame and forgiveness of self in these associations among gay men in Turkey. Data were collected from 200 gay men aged between 18 and 48. The results of the study indicated that while both distal and proximal minority stress processes predicted depression and anxiety among gay men in Turkey, only distal stressors were found as a significant predictor of NSSI. The findings of the mediation analyses revealed that shame and forgiveness of self sequentially mediated the associations of proximal stressors with depression and anxiety. The mediator roles of shame and forgiveness of self in the relation between proximal stressors and NSSI were insignificant. Similarly, findings regarding the mediation analyses did not support the mediator roles of shame and forgiveness of self in the relations between distal stress processes and mental health outcomes. The results of the current study were discussed in the light of the existing literature. Strengths, limitations, and clinical implications of the current study were presented.