Basic need satisfaction as a mediator in the relationship of proximal sexual minority stressors and perceived social support

Abstract

Sexual minority stress makes sexual minorities more vulnerable to the development of psychopathology than their heterosexual counterparts. This study examines how stressors such as internalized homonegativity, sexual identity concealment, and sexual identity related rejection sensitivity may relate to perceived social support and whether this relation might be mediated by basic psychological need satisfaction. In order to test these relations, three mediation analyses were performed on a total of 96 members of sexual minorities (83.30% men, 14.60% women, 2.10% others, Mean age = 30, SD = 9.80). Basic need satisfaction functioned as a mediator for the relationship of on the one hand sexual identity concealment and sexual identity related rejection sensitivity and on the other hand perceived social support. Clinical implications, limitations and possible future research directions are discussed.