Minority Stress and Mental Health of Gay Men in Turkey: The Mediator Roles of Shame and Forgiveness of Self

Unsal B. C., Bozo Ö.

JOURNAL OF HOMOSEXUALITY, vol.70, no.8, pp.1503-1520, 2023 (SSCI) identifier identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 70 Issue: 8
  • Publication Date: 2023
  • Doi Number: 10.1080/00918369.2022.2036532
  • Journal Name: JOURNAL OF HOMOSEXUALITY
  • Journal Indexes: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, ASSIA, IBZ Online, International Bibliography of Social Sciences, ATLA Religion Database, Educational research abstracts (ERA), EMBASE, Gender Studies Database, MEDLINE, MLA - Modern Language Association Database, PAIS International, Psycinfo, Public Affairs Index, Social services abstracts, Sociological abstracts, Violence & Abuse Abstracts
  • Page Numbers: pp.1503-1520
  • Keywords: Minority stress, shame, forgiveness of self, gay men, depression, anxiety, INTERNALIZED HETEROSEXISM, GUILT, IDENTITY, STIGMA, INTERVENTION, DETERMINANTS, POPULATIONS, LONELINESS, HOMOPHOBIA, OTHERS
  • Middle East Technical University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Proximal minority stressors (i.e., internalized homonegativity, anticipation of rejection, and concealment of sexual identity) lead to depression and anxiety. General psychological factors mediate the association of proximal stressors with depression and anxiety. Based on this, the present study aimed to investigate the sequential mediating roles of shame and forgiveness of self on the relations of proximal stressors with depression and anxiety in a sample of self-identified gay men in Turkey (N = 200). The findings revealed that proximal stressors significantly predicted depression and anxiety indirectly through shame and self-forgiveness. Thus, the link between minority stress and shame should be considered in clinical practice, and self-forgiveness should be integrated into intervention programs to eliminate the negative impacts of shame on depression and anxiety among this population. Limitations and directions for future studies are presented.