Sexual Self-Identification Offsets and Self-Stigma Moderates: Expanding the Rejection-Identification Model to Examine Stigma’s Effects on Well-Being Among Gay and Bisexual Men

Abstract

ABSTRACT Gender and sexual minorities still face stigma-related stress from all areas of society. The rejection-identification model (RIM) proposes that some stigmatized individuals may respond to the negative effects of stigma on well-being by enhancing their self-identification. However, this does not apply to all gender and sexual minorities. Grounded in minority stress theory and the RIM, this study examined how stigma-related stressors (i.e. perceived stigma and self-stigma) and their associated mechanisms impact sexual self-identification and subjective well-being. A total of 366 Chinese gay and bisexual men were included in the study. The results showed that sexual self-identification, as a protective factor, mediated the association between perceived stigma and subjective well-being. Furthermore, the indirect effect of the mediation model was moderated by self-stigma, such that the indirect effect of perceived stigma on subjective well-being through sexual self-identification was the highest among Chinese gay and bisexual men with low self-stigma. Given that research into the mental health and well-being of Chinese gay and bisexual men is still in its infancy, our findings are important and may help in developing and improving socially and psychologically sensitive counseling services or intervention strategies for these populations.