Self-Compassion and Sensory Processing Sensitivity among Sexual Minorities: A Minority Stress Framework

The negative impact of discrimination on psychopathology symptoms, or mental illness, among gender and sexual minorities is well established (Institute of Medicine, 2011). The dual-continua model of mental health suggests that absence of psychopathology symptoms alone is insufficient for assessing actual mental health; instead, an evaluation of positive symptoms (e.g., emotional, psychological, and social well-being) is also necessary (Keyes, 2002). To reduce LGBT health disparities and promote well-being, researchers and clinicians must understand how and for whom mechanisms of minority stress (i.e., various types of discrimination and its internalization) and relevant biopsychosocial resources impact positive mental health, or psychological well-being among gender and sexual minorities. In particular, researchers must better understand A) demographic, or within-group minority-stress differences, B) how competing distal stressors “get under the skin,” and C) how sensory processing sensitivity and self-compassion mediate the relationship between proximal stress and positive mental health. This dissertation addresses these gaps in the minority-stress framework. Results from an online, convenience sample of 366 gender and sexual minorities (48% Cisgender Female, 27% Racial/Ethnic Minorities) indicate: 1) Bilingual and multilingual participants report greater LGBT-specific harassment and discrimination and family rejection than English-only participants; gender nonbinary participants report higher levels of minority stress and sensory processing sensitivity and lower levels of self-compassion and well-being than cisgender participants; and monosexual (i.e., gay/lesbian) participants had higher well-being scores than plurisexual (bisexual and queer-identified) participants. 2) Distinct distal stressors have varying effects on proximal stress. Thus, the mechanism and degree by which sexual minorities internalize sexual prejudice varies by discrimination type. In particular, family rejection is the best predictor of internalized homophobia; gender nonconformity stress predicts isolation; sexual orientation microaggressions predicts vicarious trauma; and a combination of subtle and overt discrimination and family rejection predict vigilance. 3) Last, a parallel mediator model suggests that both sensory processing sensitivity and self-compassion uniquely mediate the relationship between proximal distress and positive mental health. Specifically, proximal stress is associated with greater sensory processing sensitivity, which, in turn, is associated with decreased positive mental health. In contrast, proximal stress is associated with decreased self-compassion; however, self-compassion is positively associated with positive mental health. A serial mediation model where sensory processing sensitivity also effects self-compassion was not supported. Clinical implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed.