Showcase of Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavors (SOURCE)

Correlation Between Queer Mental Health and Acceptance vs. Lack of Acceptance

Heterosexual individuals have far more research for their well-being than LGBTQ+ individuals, even though research supports that their mental health is worse. In this current study, our focus is how self-acceptance and discrimination predict the LGBTQ+ community’s mental well-being compared to their heterosexual counterparts, who do not face discrimination for their identity. Based on previous research, we predicted that the increased sexuality discrimination experienced by queer people causes a decline in their mental well-being. We conducted a correlational study using a questionnaire. Participants were found through convenience sampling to test our measures: well-being, discrimination, and self-acceptance. We analyzed our data with multiple regression analysis for our measures, predicting well-being from discrimination and self-acceptance. Participants were queer and straight individuals, 69 LGBTQ+, 15 non-LGBTQ+ (2 unsure), ranging from ages 18 to 69, 19 and 20 being the most common ages. Overall, discrimination in the form of harassment and rejection was a significant predictor of worse mental well-being for managing everyday affairs (i.e., environmental mastery). Self-acceptance was a significant predictor of better mental well-being for personal growth and environmental mastery, with remaining relationships for well-being ending up not substantial. The study lacked a large enough sample size for heterosexual participants to compare queer and heterosexual participants. Data shows that our study did have a significant relationship to support that LGBTQ+ individuals have a decreased well-being in correlation to discrimination in forms of harassment and increased well-being in correlation to self-acceptance with personal growth and environmental mastery.