3 - (SYM 73) Sexual Minority Individuals' Causal Attributions for the Sexual Orientation Disparity in Depression

Objectives. Knowing how stigmatized individuals understand mental health disparities affecting their group can identify psychotherapeutic and public health treatment targets. Sexual minority individuals are at disproportionate risk of depression compared to heterosexuals. Yet, no research has asked how sexual minority individuals might be affected by awareness of this disparity, how they themselves explain it, and how variations in their explanations might affect them.

Method. Study 1: To examine effects of information about the sexual orientation disparity in depression, 593 participants (386 sexual minority, 207 heterosexual) were randomly assigned to read a fictitious news article about the depression disparity affecting either sexual minorities or another stigmatized group, and then to report their current, past, and future expected experiences with depression. Study 2: To examine sexual minority individuals’ explanations for the sexual orientation disparity in depression and the implications thereof, 400 sexual minority participants provided open-ended (i.e., free-text) and closed-ended (i.e., numerical ratings of potential causes from a pre-set list) causal attributions for the disparity. Two coders rated the free-text explanations to identify themes, which—along with numerical ratings—were then linked to participants’ self-reported beliefs about the magnitude and stability of the disparity.

Results. Study 1: Sexual minorities were not uniquely affected by being presented with information regarding the sexual orientation disparity in depression. Study 2: Participants provided 40 distinct explanations for the sexual orientation disparity in depression, subsumed under 13 themes. Analyses are ongoing that link thematic classifications (e.g., internal vs. external causes, structural vs. interpersonal causes) to participants’ beliefs about group-based and individual experiences of depression. Analyses of closed-ended ratings revealed that the more participants attributed the disparity to genetic differences, the larger and more permanent they perceived the disparity to be. Attributing the disparity to stigmatization of sexual minority individuals was associated with perceiving it to be larger but less permanent.

Conclusion. Results can inform how psychotherapeutic and public health interventions can ensure that knowledge of substantial mental health disparities affecting stigmatized populations do not themselves perpetuate stigma and distress.