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Sexual Minority Men's Mental Health: Associations with Gay Community Intragroup Marginalization Beyond Heterosexist
Leander Y E Dellers1, Amanda L Duffy2, Melanie J Zimmer-Gembeck2
1School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Southport, Australia.
Journal of Homosexuality
|April 2, 2025
Summary
Intragroup marginalization within the gay community negatively impacts mental health for sexual minority men (SMM), independent of heterosexist discrimination. Different types of marginalization have varied effects on SMM well-being.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Public Health
Background:
- Heterosexist discrimination is a known stressor impacting sexual minority men's (SMM) mental health.
- However, other social stressors, such as intragroup marginalization, may also contribute to mental health disparities within this population.
- Understanding these multifaceted stressors is crucial for developing targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of intragroup marginalization within the gay community on the mental health of sexual minority men (SMM).
- To examine whether these effects persist after accounting for experiences of heterosexist discrimination.
- To explore the differential effects of various types of intragroup marginalization (social, individual, identity) on SMM mental health outcomes.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional online survey was administered to 283 Australian sexual minority men (SMM).
- Participants completed measures assessing heterosexist discrimination, intragroup marginalization (social, individual, identity), depression, social anxiety, self-esteem, and outness.
- Hierarchical regression analyses were used to examine the relationships between stressors and mental health outcomes.
Main Results:
- Individual and identity-based intragroup marginalization were associated with increased depression and social anxiety, and lower self-esteem.
- Social intragroup marginalization unexpectedly predicted lower social anxiety and higher self-esteem.
- These associations remained significant after controlling for heterosexist discrimination, which also predicted poorer mental health outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Intragroup marginalization represents a significant, independent stressor affecting sexual minority men's (SMM) mental health.
- The specific type of intragroup marginalization influences mental health outcomes in complex ways.
- Mental health interventions for SMM should consider both external (heterosexist discrimination) and internal (intragroup marginalization) stressors.
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