Campus belonging deficit and psychological distress: Sexual minority students at risk

Objective: This study examined the association between campus belonging deficit and psychological distress and whether this association varied by sexual orientation. Participants: The sample included 988 undergraduate students at a large public Hispanic-Serving Institution. Methods: Data were drawn from the 2021 Diverse Learning Environments Survey. Analyses included bivariate correlations, independent samples t-tests, and hierarchical multiple regression. Results: Sexual minority students reported greater belonging deficit and psychological distress than heterosexual students. Beyond these group differences, greater belonging deficit was associated with greater psychological distress across the full sample, and this association was moderated by sexual orientation. Conclusions: While prior research has focused on belonging and psychological distress in the context of acute trauma, these findings suggest that this association also extends to everyday campus life and is stronger among sexual minority students.