Self-Esteem and Supportiveness as Predictors of Emotional Distress in Gay Male and Lesbian Youth

Many gay male and lesbian youth experience isolation, self-hatred, and other emotional stressors related to harassment and abuse from peers and adults, leading to risk factors associated with alcohol and substance abuse, suicide, prostitution, running away, and school problems. Research findings hav...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of homosexuality 1998-01, Vol.35 (2), p.25-39
Main Authors: Grossman, Arnold H., Kerner, Matthew S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
African Americans - psychology
Children & youth
Emotional distress
Emotions
Female
Gays & lesbians
Hispanic Americans
Hispanic Americans - psychology
Homosexuality
Homosexuality, Female - psychology
Homosexuality, Male - psychology
Homosexuals
Humans
Lesbianism
Male
Mental health
New York City
New York City, New York
Predictors
Psychological Distress
Relationship
Risk Factors
Self Concept
Self Esteem
Self image
Selfesteem
Social Problems - prevention & control
Social Problems - psychology
Social Support
Urban Population
Young people
Youth
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Summary:Many gay male and lesbian youth experience isolation, self-hatred, and other emotional stressors related to harassment and abuse from peers and adults, leading to risk factors associated with alcohol and substance abuse, suicide, prostitution, running away, and school problems. Research findings have indicated that high levels of self-esteem and social supports may moderate gay-identified stressors. The current study examined self-esteem and satisfaction with supportiveness as predictors of emotional distress in a sample of 90 self-identified urban gay male and lesbian youth. The sample of 58 gay male and 32 lesbian youth (ages 14 to 21 years) were predominantly black and Latino/a. Findings indicated self-esteem as a predictor of moderate strength for emotional distress for the total and male samples; however, it proved to be a strong predictor for the female sample. Satisfaction with supportiveness, however, proved to be insignificant in explaining the variance of emotional distress. As the latter is contrary to anecdotal evidence, it is recommended that future studies examine satisfaction with specific types of supportive-ness rather than the global measure used in the current study.
ISSN:0091-8369
1540-3602
DOI:10.1300/J082v35n02_02