(PS9-68) The Impact of Family Gossip on Suicidal Ideation and Internalized Homophobia Among Sexual Minority Individuals

Suicide continues to be a global concern, with about 700,00 deaths occurring annually worldwide (WHO, 2021). Sexual minority individuals experience higher rates of suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and death by suicide, as well as other mental health challenges compared to their heterosexual counterparts (Miranda-Mendizábal et al., 2017; D'Augelli et al., 2005; Marshal et al., 2011; Reisner et al., 2015). Homophobic beliefs have been found to be prevalent across various BIPOC cultures. Greater homonegativity in one's environment often leads to increased internalized homophobia, which is associated with increased suicidal ideation (Pereira & Rodrigues, 2015). Gossip has been found to serve as an effective medium for transmitting cultural norms and can reinforce social conventions, potentially leading to the marginalization or ostracism of individuals with identities that don’t align with a community’s norms, such as sexual minorities (Baumeister et al., 2004; Gluchman, 1963; Smith, 2014). Given the potential of gossip to be used as a societal control to police individuals who behave in ways that deviate from group norms, we hypothesize that greater perceived prevalence of familial gossip among BIPOC sexual minority individuals will be associated with greater suicidal ideation, mediated by greater internalized homophobia.  

The current study examined a non-clinical sample of 150 adults (age: M= 33.44 years; 78.7% female; 47.3% Black, 22.7% Latine/Hispanic and 16.7% East Asian) using an adapted version of the Organizational Rumor Scale for Educational Institutions to capture the perceived prevalence of gossip in families (Dağli & Han, 2018), the Internalized Homophobia Scale (IHP; Meyer, 1995), and the Suicidal Ideation Attributes Scale (van Spiiker et al., 2014).

In line with our hypotheses, both perceived prevalence of familial gossip (b= .16, SE = 0.07, p = .03) and internalized homophobia (b= .30, SE=.13 p = .02) were associated with greater suicidal ideation. Moreover, the indirect effect from perceived prevalence of familial gossip to suicidal ideation through internalized homophobia was significant (b= .06, BootSE=.03, Boot 95% CI: [.002, .134]), confirming partial mediation.

Study results highlight the importance of assessing family communication patterns and gossip, as they may confer risk of suicide among sexual minority individuals. Further research is necessary to understand underlying mechanisms between family gossip and suicide risk, which can aid in shaping future interventions and prevention efforts among this population.