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

Abstract

BackgroundExposure 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. ObjectiveThe 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 settingParticipants 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). MethodA 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. ResultsFindings 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). ConclusionsFindings 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.