(PS9-69) The Impact of Sexual Minority Stress on the Relationship Between Sexual Minority Identification and Psychological Functioning

Sexual minority individuals experience higher rates of psychological concerns. Research suggests that social stigma contributes to these disparities in psychological adjustment via minority stress theory. However, the impact of minority stress between sexual orientation groups has been largely underexamined with limited studies focusing on sexual minority youth (SMY). Among the existing studies, many have conceptualized sexuality as a single categorical variable (e.g., gay, straight, or bisexual) and few have included sexual identities diverging from the gender binary (e.g., pansexual, asexual, and queer individuals), which may erroneously skew our understanding of distinct experiences between sexually diverse groups. The purpose of this study was to contribute to the current understanding of the role of minority stress on mental health among SMY, while addressing the identified shortcomings of previous literature. Data from an online survey was analyzed which included adolescents (n = 125) who self-identified as gay, lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, asexual, or queer. Due to low endorsement of some sexual orientations, participants were combined based on endorsed sexual attraction into four groups: gay/lesbian (n = 20), bisexual (n = 25), pansexual/queer (n = 27), and asexual (n = 53).  The sample was predominantly female (40%), White/Caucasian (65.6%), and Not Hispanic or Latino/a/e (87.2%). Participants reported their experiences as a sexual minority (Sexual Minority Adolescent Stress Inventory) and symptoms of internalizing (Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children; Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item) and externalizing (Risky Behavior Questionnaire for Adolescents) behaviors. ANOVA analyses revealed significant group differences in rates of sexual minority stress and externalizing symptoms (i.e., risky behavior engagement) but not internalizing symptoms (i.e., anxiety and depression). Tukey post hoc analyses indicated that youth who identify as gay/lesbian experience significantly higher sexual minority stress than other SMY, F(3, 121) = 4.46, p < .05, and asexual youth reported significantly lower rates of externalizing problems than other gay/lesbian youth, F(3, 121) = 4.31, p < .05. There were no other significant group differences. When covarying sexual minority stress, relationships between the orientation groups and externalizing problems were no longer significant, F(3, 117) = 1.975, p > .05, partial η² = .048. That is, minority stress related to one’s sexual orientation appears to account for the development of externalizing symptoms in SMY. The results of this study indicate that SMY face distinct risks and experiences in relation to their orientation status. Thus, the impact of sexual minority stress on mental health should be importantly considered when providing therapeutic services to SMY.