Self-Continuity Moderates the Association Between Sexual-Minority Status Based Discrimination and Depressive Symptoms

ABSTRACT

Self-continuity, or how an individual understands their sense of self as persisting from past to present and present to future, is an important aspect of the self-concept that is linked to mental health outcomes. This self-concept construct may be particularly pertinent for sexual minority populations, as living in a heterosexist environment may prove detrimental for the development of self-continuity. The current study examined self-continuity among sexual minority and heterosexual community college and university students (N = 292). Compared to their heterosexual peers, sexual minority participants reported lower levels of self-continuity. Self-continuity moderated the associations between victimization due to gender nonconformity and victimization due to sexual minority status and depressive symptoms, such that higher levels of self-continuity were protective among individuals who were experiencing higher levels of victimization due to gender nonconformity or sexual minority status. Findings will be discussed in terms of their implications for identity development among emerging adults.

KEYWORDS:

• Self-continuity
• sexual minority identity
• gender nonconformity-based discrimination
• sexual-minority status-based discrimination
• depressive symptoms
• emerging adulthood
• self-concept

Acknowledgments

This research was undertaken, in part, thanks to funding from the Canada Research Chairs program (Canada Research Chair in Stigma and Psychosocial Development), and a postdoctoral fellowship from Fonds de Recherche Société et Culture to the first author. Opinions reflect those of the authors and not necessarily those of the granting agencies. The authors also wish to acknowledge the participants who took their time to participate in this survey, as well as the Gender and Sexuality Center at the University of Texas at Austin for help in participant recruitment.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This research was undertaken, in part, thanks to funding from the Canada Research Chairs program (Canada Research Chair in Stigma and Psychosocial Development), and a postdoctoral fellowship from Fonds de Recherche Société et Culture to the first author. Opinions reflect those of the authors and not necessarily those of the granting agencies. The authors also wish to acknowledge the participants who took their time to participate in this survey, as well as the Gender and Sexuality Center at the University of Texas at Austin for help in participant recruitment.