Gender Discrepancy Stress and Sexual Victimization Explain Sexual Minority Youths' Mental Health Disparities

Sexual minority youth are disproportionately at risk of psychopathology. This may be due, in part, to their elevated risk of sexual violence victimization. However, gender discrepancy stress stemming from the fear of repercussions for their gender nonconformity (e.g., sexual violence) may be a more salient driver of their psychopathology. Discrepancy stress is linked broadly to psychopathology among cisgender heterosexual populations. However, prior research has not examined gender discrepancy stress among sexual minorities specifically. In the present study, we test the indirect effects of gender discrepancy stress and sexual violence on the relationship between sexual minority identity and psychopathology in adolescence.

Survey data assessing gender discrepancy stress, sexual violence victimization, and psychopathology risk were collected from 452 youth (M_age = 15.9; 58% female; 45% Black/AA; 52% sexual minority). Youth were identified as either cisgender sexual minority or cisgender heterosexual based on self-reported identity. Surveys were administered via Qualtrics with a planned missing design.

Separate structural equation models for males and females indicated that sexual minority youth are more prone to gender discrepancy stress than heterosexual youth. Further, discrepancy stress appears to have a stronger link to psychopathology than does sexual violence victimization. When accounting for the indirect effects of discrepancy stress and sexual violence, the direct association between sexual minority identity and psychopathology was negligible and nonsignificant.

Gender discrepancy stress may be an important risk factor for psychopathology that affects all youth and contributes to the disproportionate burden of mental health among sexual minority youth.