Sexual orientation refers to an individual's romantic, sexual, or affectional attraction towards individuals of a particular gender or genders. It is a fundamental component of human identity that affects various aspects of life, including interpersonal interactions, personal growth, and health outcomes.
Disclosure of one's sexual orientation can be challenging due to societal stigma, discrimination, and prejudice, which may lead to concealing it from others. This study investigated the impact of concealed sexual orientation on neurobiological stress responses, emotional regulation, and social relationships across the lifespan.
Concealing sexual orientation involves hiding one's actual orientation from others, either voluntarily or involuntarily. The study used a cross-sectional design and a sample of 100 participants who self-identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or questioning. Participants completed measures assessing their degree of concealment, perceived social support, psychological distress, emotion regulation strategies, neurobiological stress response, and social relationship quality.
Neurobiological Stress Response
The results revealed that participants with higher levels of concealment had higher levels of cortisol reactivity, indicating increased stress responses. This suggests that concealment may have negative effects on neurobiological processes related to stress management. Conversely, those with lower levels of concealment showed lower cortisol reactivity, suggesting better stress management abilities. This finding aligns with previous research showing that concealment can negatively impact mental health outcomes such as anxiety and depression.
Emotional Regulation Strategies
Participants with higher levels of concealment also reported using more avoidance and suppression strategies when coping with negative emotions. These strategies are generally ineffective at managing emotions and may even worsen them over time. In contrast, those with lower levels of concealment were more likely to use acceptance and positive reframing strategies, which are associated with improved emotional well-being.
Social Relationships
The study found that concealment was positively associated with poorer social relationships across all domains, including intimacy, closeness, trust, and conflict resolution. This may be due to feelings of isolation and loneliness often experienced by individuals who hide their sexual orientation from others. It may also reflect challenges in navigating interpersonal dynamics, especially in contexts where one's identity is not accepted or valued.
Discussion
This study highlights the potential consequences of concealing sexual orientation, particularly regarding its impact on neurobiology, emotion regulation, and social relationships. The findings suggest that disclosure of one's sexual orientation may be beneficial for promoting psychological and physiological well-being, while concealment may have detrimental effects. Future research should explore mechanisms underlying these associations, such as perceived stigma, internalized homophobia, and social support.
Longitudinal studies are needed to examine how concealment impacts long-term health outcomes.
How does concealing sexual orientation impact neurobiological stress responses, emotional regulation, and social relationships across the lifespan?
It is generally believed that concealing one's sexual orientation can have significant impact on an individual's neurobiological stress responses, emotional regulation, and social relationships throughout their lifetime. According to research findings, individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ) tend to experience higher levels of stress due to discrimination, prejudice, and rejection from family members, peers, and society at large.