Academic literature on the topic 'LGBTQ studies|Counseling Psychology|Clinical psychology'

Stalking is often considered to be a form of interpersonal violence; yet, despite an increase in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ)-specific research on other forms of interpersonal violence, such as intimate partner violence and sexual assault, there is a relative lack of literature on stalking victimization of LGBTQ individuals, particularly as it relates to gender identity. This is problematic given the results of numerous studies indicating LGBTQ individuals, and transgender individuals in particular, experience victimization in various forms and contexts at alarming rates. In the current study, we examined secondary data to determine the prevalence of lifetime stalking victimization and subsequent police reporting in a large community-based sample of LGBTQ individuals living in Colorado ( N = 1,116). In addition, using chi-square analyses, we examined independence of stalking experiences and police reporting by both gender identity ( transgender, cisgender male, cisgender female) and sexual orientation ( gay, lesbian, bisexual, heterosexual, queer, other). Approximately 15% of the total sample reported ever experiencing stalking; yet, only about one quarter of those who were stalked reported it to police. Although no statistically significant differences emerged by gender identity or sexual orientation, transgender, bisexual, and queer participants had the highest prevalence of lifetime stalking victimization. Moreover, these groups reported the lowest prevalence of reporting their victimization to the police. We provide suggestions to improve the development of research on this topic including a need for an inclusive definition of stalking and studies using larger, representative samples to better discern potential significant differences in stalking experiences of LGBTQ persons.

Using hermeneutics research methodology, this thesis explores the impact of negative attitudes towards lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals and the importance of a positive support system to help decrease self-harm and suicidality rates among the LGBT community. This thesis investigates the negative effects long-standing rejection, discrimination, oppression, and scapegoating of the LGBT community throughout history have had. This will provide a greater understanding of how rejection and scapegoating negatively affect the LGBT community and the individuals who comprise it. This thesis also suggests ways for family, friends, and society to become a positive support system for an LGBT individual and looks at possible interventions marriage and family therapists can apply to their clients who identify as LGBT.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the unique sexual and religious identity development of sexual minorities who attend evangelical Christian institutions of higher education. Although research exists on sexual identity development and religious identity development, scant research exists as to how these developmental areas interact in sexual minorities who attend evangelical institutions of higher education. The research questions that were answered in this study included the following: How do sexual minority students at evangelical Christian institutions of higher education develop a sexual identity and make choices about sexual expression? How do sexual minority students at evangelical Christian institutions of higher education develop a religious identity? How do these two developmental areas interact in this population?

Four individuals who identified as sexual minorities were interviewed for this study. Interviews were analyzed using interpretive phenomenological analysis to understand the lived experiences of the participants. The data analysis led to the following emergent themes: evangelical beliefs/narratives about homosexuality, new understanding of faith, current faith development, the closet, coded language, community, romantic relationships, current meaning of sexual identity, intersectional identities, evangelical college culture, vigilance, advocacy, and academic/artistic expression. These themes highlighted how inextricably linked are sexual and religious identity development in this population. Also highlighted were how the individuals resolved their identity conflict with great difficulty but also as empowered changed agents. Clinical and educational applications of the research were also discussed.

Global self-esteem is a central component of the self, and research has consistently demonstrated its influence on relationship quality. Literature has also shown that self-evaluations of one’s perceived social acceptability and physical attractiveness are especially important to one’s evaluation of oneself and one’s relationships. Internalized homonegativity and body dissatisfaction–particularly evident among gay males–share many similarities with some domains of self-esteem and have also been linked with relationship quality. However, less is known about these two variables and how they influence the relationship quality of gay men. This study examined whether global self-esteem and the variables particularly relevant to gay men, internalized homonegativity and body dissatisfaction, were associated with the relationship quality among gay men, while controlling for three relationship-related demographic variables: cohabitation status (whether the couple is living together or apart), relationship status (whether the relationship is open or closed), and number of partners. The dependency regulation model and sociometer theory provided the theoretical context for this study. A sample of 147 gay male participants were recruited through online advertisements to complete anonymous surveys assessing relationship quality, global self-esteem, internalized homonegativity, and body dissatisfaction. Three hypotheses were tested using a hierarchical linear regression model. The results demonstrated that global self-esteem, internalized homonegativity, and body dissatisfaction each significantly predicted relationship quality; however, global self-esteem was nonsignificant when examined concurrently with internalized homonegativity. The clinical implications of this study were explored, and suggestions were made for future stories to explore this topic with a more diverse population sample (e.g., drawing from different ethnic groups, greater variation in age across the lifespan, and both rural and urban communities) as well as possibly using a relatively new measure, the Gay and Lesbian Relationship Satisfaction Scale (GLRSS), which has been developed specifically for the gay and lesbian populations.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals face significant mental and physical health disparities compared to their heterosexual peers. Such differential outcomes are often attributed to minority stress, chronic stress that is specific to one’s marginalized status and which is distinct from normal every day life stress. Current research, which attempts to assess the relationship between minority stress and health, is stifled by lack of a uniform measurement tool to operationalize the construct. The purpose of this study was to develop a comprehensive tool that encapsulates all of the major dimensions of minority stress, as defined by Meyer’s (2003) LGB minority stress model. The final LGBT Minority Stress Measure is a 25-item self-report scale, with seven subscales: identity concealment, everyday discrimination/ microaggressions, rejection anticipation, discrimination events, internalized stigma, victimization events, and community connectedness. Results from 640 participants, including 119 of which identified as gender non-conforming, supported the psychometric properties of the scale. Additionally, consistent with existing literature, greater minority stress was associated with increased psychological distress.

Resilience is the ability to be adaptable in times of adversity. In the past fifty years, individuals who identify as being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender have experienced the broadest spectrum from being seen as immoral degenerates to gaining equality in the eyes of the law. Limited research on LGBT resilience has placed emphasis on circumstantial, episodic contentions rather than the dynamics of resiliency experiences of sexual minorities or gender identity. Existing research is even split between quantitative and qualitative methods but does not consider lifelong resiliency dynamic experiences. Qualitatively exploring the resiliency experiences of LGBT Baby Boomers can offer valuable information for the design of sensitivity training of health professionals and amend LGBT resiliency research literature with a broader range of life experiences. Prior research established precedents of resilient self-analysis of expansive situational issues particularly in regard to aging, health, and community. Accordingly, this qualitative research study strived to gain a better understanding of LGBT Baby Boomer resilience as a concept, personal qualities to overcome adverse situations or be resilient, those resilient qualities in regard to sexual orientation or gender identity, and qualities unique not only to their sexual orientation or gender identity, but as Baby Boomers. Five themes were identified that describe resiliency experiences of LGBT Baby Boomers.

Through hermeneutic and heuristic research this thesis looks at melancholia or complicated grief with the contributing factor of identity questioning. From a depth psychological perspective, normal grief is differentiated from melancholia or complicated grief, which involves the unconscious. This exploration employs the theory of Allan Hugh Cole Jr., whose work on melancholia draws on that of Donald Capps, Erik Erikson, and Sigmund Freud. A disposition to melancholia, particularly in men, comes from the first abandonment by a primary parent, resulting in identity loss and resistance to resolution of grief. Factors such as trauma, sexual orientation, religion, or marginalized race can have exacerbating effect on melancholia and were found to have treatment implications. Ritual, art, play, humor, and dreams can be identity-conferring and restorative resources. The author proposes that melancholia with identity issues should be understood as a psychological problem that is distinct from, although it can prolong and complicate, grief.

This study examined the effects of perceived parental rejection in gay men and romantic relationship quality during the 2020 COVID-19 global pandemic,. Meyer (2003) noted several dimensions of minority stress that LGBTQIA+ individuals are at risk of experiencing, including discrimination based on their sexual orientation, internalizing negative societal attitudes about homosexuality, and expecting rejection due to their sexual orientation. Researchers have just started to identify protective factors that contribute to resilience among gay men (Goldfried & Goldfried, 2001; Holahan et al., 1994; Steinberg, 2001), and this study sought to add to that literature. Perceived parental acceptance has been found to be associated with improved well-being (Steinberg, 2001; Holahan et al., 1994), suggesting that relationships with parents or caregivers have effects well into adulthood. Yet, the literature has failed to examine the effects of early parental rejection and how current attachment styles may mediate past experiences and their effects on current relationship quality. The main goal of the current study was to examine whether recollections of past parental rejection were associated with relationship quality later in their adult intimate relationships (Cassidy, 2008). Outness to family, friends, and others and current attachment styles were assessed as mediating variables for the links between perceived parental rejection and relationship quality. A sample of 275 participants was recruited through Amazon Turk (MTurk), Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. The mean age of participants was 31.05 years old (SD = 7.94), with a range of 18-65. The sample consisted of 93% of the sample identified as male, with the remainder identifying as transgender (4%), non-binary (0.7%), or other (2.2%). This diverse sample identified their race/ethnicity as either European American (41%), followed by African American (15%), Asian American (14%), Hispanic American (14%), American Indian, or Alaskan Native (12%), Other (4%), and Biracial (1%). The researcher conducted a multiple mediation analysis using Hayes (2018) PROCESS macro to examine the relationship between perceived parental rejection and relationship quality, with attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance, and outness as possible mediators. Consistent with the literature, perceived parental rejection from both mothers and fathers was associated with lower current relationship quality. Overall, the findings of the current study indicate support for attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance mediating the effect of perceived parental rejection on current relationship quality. Attachment Avoidance was found to be a stronger mediator of the relationship between perceived maternal rejection and relationship quality. Attachment anxiety was still a significant predictor, but not as strong when compared to attachment avoidance. Surprisingly in contrast with existing literature, results showed that outness is not a potential mechanism for how perceived parental rejection is related to relationship quality.

Abstract Mixed findings in the research on mental health issues in the lesbian community have resulted in conflicting conclusions as to whether the prevalence rate of generalized anxiety disorders and depression in the lesbian population differs from that of non-lesbians. The variability of findings may be due to factors such as discrimination, coming-out, and self-esteem. Using the minority stress model a framework, the purpose of this quantitative survey study was to examine whether perceptions of discrimination, coming-out, and self-esteem levels predict lesbians? anxiety and depression. Participants anonymously completed online measures of the Outness Inventory, the Schedule of Sexually Discriminatory Events, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Beck Depression Inventory-II, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. The snowball sample consisted of 105 self-identified lesbian women from the United States. Hierarchical regression was used to test the hypotheses. According to study results, frequency and stressfulness of sexual discrimination, coming-out, and self-esteem levels predicted depression and anxiety, with low self-esteem as the only significant predictor of depression and anxiety. The findings were only partially consistent with the minority stress model because perceived discrimination did not predict depression or anxiety. This study facilitates positive social change by pointing out and focusing on the need for mental health interventions specific to the stresses that lesbians face pertaining to low self-esteem, as that predicts their anxiety and depression.

When marriage equality became legal in 2015, more gay men started getting married. With minimal research on qualities leading to perceived marital success, mental health professionals could not offer guidance on strengthening marital satisfaction for these couples. Further, gay men had few gay role models for marital success to provide guidance and insights. To help address this lack of research, this dissertation focused on how gay men fostered marital success.

In this study, constructivist grounded theory was utilized to flexibly examine and analyze the qualities that lead to perceived marital success for eight married gay men from across the United States. Two rounds of interviews were conducted to gather narrative data and distinguish categories and properties that captured the success characteristics identified through participants lived experiences.

Findings indicate that gay men feel successful when their relationship needs and feelings of belongingness are satisfied, and they have the ability to dexterously apply relationship skills to build a strong relationship framework while working as a team to overcome potential barriers. Parenting, feelings of security, and negotiating sexual agreements were important relationship experiences for these couples.

Mental health professionals who are looking to help married gay men should consider the individual histories, environmental supports available, communication style, and the dyadic aspirations for these couples. Future research should focus on ethnic and socioeconomic diversity, and researchers should investigate marital success for couples whose marriages were not preceded by ceremonial commitments or legally binding partnerships. These parameters would expand the scope of generalizability.

In this study, I explored the impact legal marriage has had on gay men in legally sanctioned same-sex marriages. Participants included five gay men who were legally married in Massachusetts. Each participant was interviewed three times; twice using a semi-structured interview guide developed for this study plus a feedback session for clarification and validity check. Narrative information was coded for emergent categories and themes using a constructivist-interpretivist phenomenological approach. I sought to explore how gay men perceive their relationships after being able to marry, the extent to which being married has impacted how they view themselves and their relationships, as well as how the availability of legal marriage has affected social acceptance and community support. Three categories emerged from coded narrative data: (a) Entering Marriage, which included themes of how participants defined marriage, as well as processes that led them to marry; (b) Mechanics and Meaning-Making in Marriage, which included themes relating to changes participants noticed in themselves since being married, as well as differences in how aspects of marriage such as division of labor, finance, intimacy, and family expansion were navigated; and (c) Marriage in Context, which included themes relating to community, social, and political influences on participants’ marriages. The findings revealed that legal marriage has had a positive impact for these five men across intrapsychic, interpersonal, and social domains, though each participant experienced these impacts differently. I hope the information gathered will help contextualize the issue of gay male marriage equality reflected in real life experience as the field of psychology continues to expand the notions of healthy family relationships and their constellations.

This chapter offers a broad survey of existing research on trans individuals and partnerships conducted across the disciplines and professions of counseling, family studies, medicine, psychology, social work, sociology, and women’s and gender studies, with the goal of assessing and distilling factors associated with the stability and instability of relationships in which at least one of the members is trans. This chapter also provides an assessment of key sources of support and strain for trans partnerships as identified by researchers or that deserve further research exploration. Finally, the authors identify a number of researcher assumptions and biases that may cloud the interpretation of some research findings and outcomes in trans people’s partnerships, suggesting avenues for further focus in clinical practice and research.

LGBTQ+ youth experience increased levels of bullying, harassment, and discrimination in schools. Many states in the United States have state and local policies that are designed to protect both the sexual orientation and gender identity of students, however there are still a handful of states without these protections in place. School counselors are in a unique position to advocate for safe and inclusive environments for LGBQ+ youth.

School counselors are tasked with promoting the responsible use of technology in collaboration with families and educators to increase student safety. However, there are significant challenges dealing with technology use in the schools. Youth from underserved backgrounds, including LGBTQ+ youth, youth of color, and youth living in poverty, may find support and connection through technology. This chapter includes an overview on technology use among youth, cultural considerations in technology and digital media use, and collaborative interventions to promote tech safety and digital citizenship. Final case examples outline culturally responsive, student-centered interventions to promote tech safety and digital citizenships within schools.

This chapter aims to highlight some aspects linked with the psychological interventions adaptability to the virtual setting, focusing on advantages, limits, and the effectiveness criteria of an online intervention, and of the virtual reality (VR) applications in the clinical psychology field. First of all, the authors will examine the characteristics of the web-based setting and of the online psychological counseling service, underling opportunities and risks of text talk-based chat therapy and the issues dealing with the role of the therapist. This will be followed by the analysis of Twende! Project, an online psychological counseling service created by the Italian company Idego – Digital Psychology s.r.l. The chapter will conclude with the presentation of VR systems as an e-therapy tool, considering their application scopes in order to treat mental disorders and showing their adaptability and operational effectiveness in several clinical psychology areas.

The chapter introduces the HEROES Project, an online training resource that develops mental resilience. The goal is to provide the reader with insight into a resource that can be used as an adjunct to employee assistance programs, critical incident stress debriefing, and counseling. The HEROES Project is the first virtual training course that combines the therapeutic tools of clinical and organizational psychology and provides first responders access to a self-driven wellness program. This respects many first responders' preference for anonymous and private self-care, while the autonomous nature of the training reinforces for all first responders that they are ultimately responsible for maintaining their own wellness.

Using case studies and interviews, this study investigated the negative effects of violence against disabled individuals. Twenty girls who were visually and physically disabled completed a questionnaire designed to investigate the consequences that resulted from exposure to violence. The research was conducted in June 2019. The study participants were visually and physically disabled girls who had been exposed to violence. The participants were from the “Alaml Institute” in Misr Elgdida area, Cairo, Egypt. The two participants studied in this paper were deliberately chosen because their previous exposure to violence has resulted in behavioral and psychological disorders. The researcher pursued a clinical approach to study each individual’s personality in-depth. The results revealed that the most harmful effects and psychological problems resulting from exposure to violence were social withdrawal, aggression, tension, anxiety, bitterness, and hatred. The researcher recommends that psychological support, including counseling and psychotherapy, be offered to disabled girls who are exposed to external aggression. Furthermore, there is a need for reinforcing the psychological culture among adolescents, especially the psychology of adolescent girls with disabilities.