The Role of Family Rejection of Gender Expression on Minority Stress and Mental Health of Sexual and Gender Minority Adolescents

• Published in: Sexuality research & social policy Vol. 21; no. 3; pp. 998 - 1013
• Main Authors: Palmer, Christopher W., Francis, Sarah E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.09.2024; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adolescents; Anxiety; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Best practice; Community support; Family roles; Family support; Gender identity; Home environment; Homophobia; Mental depression; Mental health; Minority & ethnic groups; Psychological distress; Psychology; Self report; Sexual Behavior; Sexual orientation discrimination; Sexuality; Social acceptance; Social policy; Social Sciences; Social support; Stress; Teenagers; Well being; United States > US; Family environment; Gender expression; Minority stress; Psychological distress; Sexual and gender minority youth
• ISSN: 1868-9884; 1553-6610
• DOI: 10.1007/s13178-023-00881-5

Introduction Sexual and gender minority youth (SGMY) often report more experiences of rejection from their family environment which is typically linked with negative implications for their overall well-being. A factor frequently associated with increased rates of psychological distress and rejection from others is that of possessing a nonconforming gender expression. Family rejection is often categorized under the umbrella of minority stress theory; however, initial conceptualizations of minority stress theory did not account for other factors such as gender expression and cisnormativity and how these impact SGMY especially within the realm of family rejection. Methods In April of 2020, 150 adolescents who identified as a sexual or gender minority were recruited via Qualtrics Survey platform. Participants completed a series of self-report measures on demographics, minority stress, psychological distress, and their family environment’s views of gender identity and expression. Results We observed significant correlations connecting family rejection of gender expression to anxiety and depression and minority stressors. Moreover, family rejection of gender expression accounted for additional variance in anxiety but not depression. Neither family rejection nor support of gender expression moderated the relationships between minority stress with anxiety or depression. Conclusions These findings suggest that gender expression plays a role in experiences of family rejection and overall minority stress. Policy Implications Results illustrate implications for extending our thinking of family support beyond the binary categories of acceptance and rejection of queer identity. This can assist in informing policy on best practices for creating supportive environments for SGMY to help alleviate distress caused by lack of family support.