Shepherd Benjamin F, Chang Cindy J, Dyar Christina, Brochu Paula M, Selby Edward A, Feinstein Brian A
Department of Clinical and School Psychology, Nova Southeastern University.
Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology, Rutgessssssrs University.
Psychol Sex Orientat Gend Divers. 2024 Jun;11(2):294-304. doi: 10.1037/sgd0000597. Epub 2022 Aug 11.
Sexual minoritized individuals engage in non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) at higher rates than their heterosexual peers. Disclosing one's sexual minoritized identity can put one at risk for experiencing discrimination, which is linked to greater engagement in NSSI. However, discrimination has yet to be tested as a mechanism linking sexual identity disclosure to NSSI. Understanding how sexual identity disclosure impacts NSSI has the potential to inform interventions to reduce sexual orientation disparities in NSSI. To address this gap, the current study examined sexual orientation-based discrimination as a mediator of the longitudinal association between sexual identity disclosure and NSSI among 792 sexual minoritized young adults. Higher levels of disclosure at baseline were associated with greater likelihood of NSSI at two-month follow-up via greater discrimination at one-month follow-up, even after controlling for baseline levels of depression and demographic characteristics. The indirect effect became non-significant after controlling for previous levels of discrimination and NSSI. Findings provide partial support for the hypothesis that identity disclosure may precede exposure to discrimination and, in turn, engagement in NSSI. However, identity disclosure does not appear to predict acute increases in discrimination. Future research is encouraged to examine these prospective associations with longer intervals between assessments, as the indirect effect of identity disclosure on NSSI via discrimination may continue to accumulate over time. Findings highlight the need to reduce discrimination following sexual identity disclosure through the implementation of equitable and affirmative practices in school, healthcare, and other settings to improve the well-being of sexual minoritized young adults.
性少数群体个体进行非自杀性自伤（NSSI）的比例高于异性恋同龄人。公开自己的性少数群体身份可能会使人面临遭受歧视的风险，而这与更多地参与NSSI有关。然而，歧视尚未被检验为将性身份公开与NSSI联系起来的一种机制。了解性身份公开如何影响NSSI有可能为减少NSSI中性取向差异的干预措施提供信息。为了填补这一空白，本研究考察了基于性取向的歧视作为792名性少数年轻成年人中性身份公开与NSSI之间纵向关联的中介变量。即使在控制了抑郁的基线水平和人口统计学特征之后，基线时更高水平的身份公开与在两个月随访时通过在一个月随访时更高的歧视水平而导致的更大的NSSI可能性相关。在控制了先前的歧视水平和NSSI之后，间接效应变得不显著。研究结果为身份公开可能先于遭受歧视，进而导致参与NSSI这一假设提供了部分支持。然而，身份公开似乎并不能预测歧视的急剧增加。鼓励未来的研究以更长的评估间隔来考察这些前瞻性关联，因为身份公开通过歧视对NSSI的间接效应可能会随着时间的推移而持续累积。研究结果强调了通过在学校、医疗保健和其他环境中实施公平和肯定性的做法来减少性身份公开后的歧视，以改善性少数年轻成年人福祉的必要性。
