Title
Religious Sexual Minorities, Belongingness, and Suicide Risk: Does it Matter Where Belongingness Comes From?
Document Type
Article
Journal/Book Title/Conference
Psychology of Religion and Spirituality
Publisher
American Psychological Association
Publication Date
5-5-2022
Abstract
Sexual minorities (SMs) experience a unique set of stressors as a result of their minority status that can lead to adverse mental health outcomes, including increased suicidal ideation (SI). A sense of belongingness—particularly in sexual minority communities—has been shown to buffer these outcomes. It is less clear, however, how belongingness in communities that hold heteronormative values may relate to SI. The present study fills this gap through an analysis of data from 602 SM members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (CJCLDS; “Mormon” church). We examine how minority stressors and religiousness are related to SI for SMs and how a sense of belongingness in the CJCLDS and/or in SM communities may buffer SI. Results indicated that both minority stressors (e.g., concealment, internalized homonegativity [IH]), and religiousness (e.g., service attendance) were related to increased SI; however, a sense of belongingness in the CJCLDS was related to less SI. Interaction effects suggested that the presence of CJCLDS belongingness weakened the influence of IH on SI but strengthened the influence of concealment and service attendance on SI.
Recommended Citation
Skidmore, S. J., Lefevor, G. T., Golightly, R. M., & Larsen, E. R. (2022). Religious sexual minorities, belongingness, and suicide risk: Does it matter where belongingness comes from? Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, doi:https://doi.org/10.1037/rel0000470
