Effects of shame and self-forgiveness on mental health of gay men in Turkey: A minority stress perspective


Tezin Türü: Yüksek Lisans

Tezin Yürütüldüğü Kurum: Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi, Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Türkiye

Tezin Onay Tarihi: 2020

Tezin Dili: İngilizce

Öğrenci: BERK CAN ÜNSAL

Danışman: Özlem Bozo Özen

Özet:

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.