The role of affirming faith communities on internalizing symptoms in African American LGBTQ+ emerging adults

Abstract

African American youth identifying as LGBTQ+ (i.e. lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other non-heterosexual and/or non-cisgender identities) are often at increased risk to adverse experiences such as discrimination, stigma, and family rejection that impact psychological well-being. A critical protective factor for African Americans facing these difficulties is religiosity, and religiosity typically results in multiple psychological benefits. Given the potential anti-LGBTQ+ attitudes from other congregants in their religious spaces, this protective factor may operate differently for LGBTQ+ African American youth. Using a sample of 156 emerging adults ages 18 to 25 (M_age= 18.85; 61.5% having a current religion) self-identified as African American and LGBTQ+, we examined identity processes (i.e. ethnic-racial, LGBTQ+, and religious identity exploration, resolution, and commitment) along with experiences of family rejection and an LGBTQ+ affirming faith community would be associated with depressive and anxious symptoms. Results indicated that attitudinal faith community affirmation was associated with fewer depressive and anxious symptoms, while family rejection was associated with greater depressive and anxious symptoms. Ethnic-racial identity was also associated with greater depressive symptoms. Interpretations of the findings and implications for future research are explored.

Keywords:

• African American
• LGBTQ+
• religiosity
• identity
• Mental Health

Acknowledgement

The authors would like to thank UNC Greensboro and the anonymous reviewers.

Disclosure statement

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by UNC Greensboro Undergraduate Research and Creativity Award (URCA) provided to the primary author.

Notes on contributors

Jocelyn Little

Jocelyn Little is a second-year graduate student in the clinical psychology doctoral program at the University of Texas at Austin.

Michele Chan

Michele Chan is a sixth-year graduate student in the clinical psychology doctoral program at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Gabriela Livas Stein

Gabriela Livas Stein is a professor and Chair for the Human Development and Family Sciences department at the University of Texas at Austin.