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Attributions for Discriminatory Events and Satisfaction with Social Support in Gay Men

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Abstract

Attributions modulate the impact of stressful events on mental health. However, little is known about attributions for discriminatory events and their relationship to psychosocial outcomes in sexual minority individuals. Relationships were examined between gay men’s attributions for discrimination and their satisfaction with social support, a variable critical to mental health in this population. Gay men (N = 307) completed online measures of satisfaction with social support, attributions for discriminatory events, and key minority stress constructs. Self blaming attributions for discrimination were associated with decreased satisfaction with social support, independent of the frequency with which participants reported experiencing discrimination. The link between self blaming and satisfaction with social support was partially mediated by a latent affective construct comprised of anxiety, depression, and low positive affect. A moderation effect was also found, such that the relationship between frequency of perceived discriminatory events and dissatisfaction with social support was amplified for men reporting more blame toward perpetrators of discrimination. Results support attributions for discrimination as valuable additions to minority stress models. Assessing self and other blame for these discriminatory events may help to clarify pathways by which discrimination can undermine gay men’s satisfaction with their social support networks.

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Acknowledgment

This study was supported by a Seed Grant from the University of Georgia Center for Research and Engagement in Diversity to Charles Kamen.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA

    Michelle Nicole Burns, Charles Kamen & Steven R. H. Beach

  2. Department of Preventive Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 680 N. Lake Shore Drive, Suite 1220, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA

    Michelle Nicole Burns & Kenneth A. Lehman

  3. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA

    Charles Kamen

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Burns, M.N., Kamen, C., Lehman, K.A. et al. Attributions for Discriminatory Events and Satisfaction with Social Support in Gay Men. Arch Sex Behav 41, 659–671 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-011-9822-5

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