LGBTQ+ identity-related abuse during childhood and associations with depression and suicide behavior: Role of adulthood cisheterosexism and expressive suppression

Authors

Ruby Charak, The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyFollow
Ines Cano-Gonzalez, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Roman Ronzon-Tirado
Rachel M. Schmitz, Oklahoma State University
Jennifer Tabler, University of Wyoming
Sidsel Karsberg
Ayleen Flores
Julian D. Ford, University Of Connecticut

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

9-2023

Abstract

Background: Exposure to minority stressors specific to LGBTQ+ individuals, such as heterosexism and cissexism (or cisheterosexism) is not covered under the traditional adverse childhood experiences framework. This is important because childhood identity-related abuse by a parent/caregiver can lead to mental health challenges in later life through the adoption of maladaptive coping mechanisms.

Objective: The present study aimed to examine the role of cisheterosexism and expressive suppression as serial mediators in the associations between identity-related abuse and depressive symptoms and suicide behavior.

Participants and setting: Participants included 563 LGBTQ+ identifying adults between 18 and 64 years (M = 30.02, SD = 9.05) from different regions of Spain and were recruited through social media (e.g., Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram).

Method: A serial mediation model was conducted with cisheterosexism and expressive suppression as the mediators in the associations between LGBTQ+ identity-related childhood abuse and depressive symptoms and suicide behavior.

Results: Findings indicated a positive indirect effect of identity-related abuse on depressive symptoms through cumulative cisheterosexism (B = 0.628, p < .01), and via cumulative cisheterosexism and suppression (B = 0.146, p < .05). No significant indirect effect was found for identity-related abuse on depressive symptoms via suppression (B = 0.086). An indirect effect was found for identity-related abuse on suicide behavior via cumulative cisheterosexism (B = 0.250, p < .01).

Conclusions: Findings reveal that LGBTQ+ identity-related cisheterosexist experiences perpetrated by parents or caregivers are associated with harmful, long-term impacts on symptoms of depression and suicide behavior via experiences of cisheterosexism and expressive suppression.

Comments

Original published version available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106433

Recommended Citation

Charak, R., Cano-Gonzalez, I., Ronzon-Tirado, R., Schmitz, R. M., Tabler, J., Karsberg, S., Flores, A., & Ford, J. D. (2023). LGBTQ+ identity-related abuse during childhood and associations with depression and suicide behavior: Role of adulthood cisheterosexism and expressive suppression. Child abuse & neglect, 145, 106433. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106433

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

Publication Title

Child abuse & neglect

DOI

10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106433