PLOS ONE Medicine&Health

The relationship between family environments growing up and behavioral health among LGBTQ+ adults: The mediating role of internalized homonegativity

by Pin-Chen Chiang, Yinuo Xu, Denise Yookong Williams, Ankur Srivastava, Jake A. Leite, Adam R. Englert, William J. Hall

Disparities in the behavioral health outcomes for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer+ (LGBTQ+) adults—such as depression, anxiety, and alcohol use—are often attributed to experiences of discrimination, victimization, and lack of supportive environments, including hetero- and cis-normative family settings. Yet, how family environments in childhood influence LGBTQ+ adults’ behavioral health and internalized homonegativity has not been extensively examined.

This study utilized a U.S. national dataset of LGBTQ+ adults (N = 499). Data were collected in November 2020 using an online survey. A series of multivariate ordinary least squares regression models and Sobel tests were performed.

Results showed that as homophobic messages from family increased, levels of depression (β = .19, p β = .17, p β = .13, p β = .11, p β = .15, p z = 3.35, p z = 3.09, p z = 2.80, p z = 2.66, p z = 3.76, p z = 3.45, p  Conclusion

Study findings underscore the importance of inclusive climates within a family and internalized homonegativity as a mediator for LGBTQ+ individuals’ behavioral health. Implications for intervention and future research are discussed.