Social support is defined as "the perception and actual assistance explicitly or tacitly given by significant others when needed" 1. It can take many forms such as emotional, instrumental, informational, companionship, esteem-building, affiliative, spiritual, and appraisal support 2. Social support has been found to have positive effects on mental health across different domains including stress management, coping strategies, self-esteem, resilience, quality of life, physical health, and recovery from illnesses 3-5. Researchers have examined the role that social support plays in reducing internalized homophobia and promoting mental health among sexual minorities.
Internalized homophobia refers to negative attitudes and beliefs about one's own homosexuality that lead to low self-acceptance, self-esteem, self-worth, and psychological distress 6. This term was coined by psychologist Richard Isay in the 1980s and has since gained traction in research literature on LGBTQ+ individuals 7. Internalized homophobia can manifest in several ways such as depression, anxiety, substance abuse, eating disorders, self-harm, isolation, and suicide attempts.
Studies have shown that sexual minorities who experience high levels of social support tend to have lower levels of internalized homophobia than those with low levels of social support.
A study conducted by Grossman et al. (2018) revealed that participants with higher levels of family support had significantly lower levels of internalized homophobia compared to those without family support 8. Similarly, a meta-analysis by Schmitt et al. (2014) indicated that sexual minorities who received more supportive messages from their peers and families were less likely to report symptoms of internalized homophobia 9. Another study by Chu et al. (2019) found that participants who felt supported by their friends reported lower levels of internalized homophobia than those who did not 10. These findings suggest that social support plays an important role in reducing internalized homophobia among sexual minorities.
Social support has been linked to better mental health outcomes for sexual minorities. A study by McLaughlin et al. (2015) discovered that social support was associated with reduced risk of depressive symptoms among gay men 11.
Another study by Tran et al. (2020) showed that social support from family members was positively correlated with fewer symptoms of psychological distress among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals 12.
A review by Mereish et al. (2019) suggested that social support could help prevent suicide attempts among LGBTQ+ youth 13. This suggests that social support can improve the mental health of sexual minorities, which is crucial for overall wellbeing.
Social support has been shown to play a significant role in reducing internalized homophobia and promoting mental health among sexual minorities. Therefore, creating safe spaces where sexual minorities can receive emotional, instrumental, informational, companionship, esteem-building, affiliative, spiritual, and appraisal support can be beneficial for their overall health and wellbeing. Social support can come from peers, family, partners, therapists, religious communities, or other sources. Sexual minorities who experience high levels of support tend to have lower levels of internalized homophobia and improved mental health outcomes. Therefore, it is important to encourage support networks for sexual minorities to promote positive mental health and reduce stigma.