Semester

Summer

Date of Graduation

2021

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Type

PhD

College

College of Education and Human Services

Department

Counseling, Rehabilitation Counseling & Counseling Psychology

Committee Chair

Lisa Platt

Committee Member

Jeffrey Daniels

Committee Member

Jonathan Hall

Committee Member

Abhik Roy

Abstract

The present study explored the relationship amongst faith, internalized homophobia, outness, perceived discrimination, and psychological well-being in Black sexual minorities (BSM). BSM participants (N = 211) completed an online survey assessing these variables. The result of this study indicate that faith is not related to internalized homophobia, outness, perceived discrimination, or psychological well-being in BSM individuals. However, internalized homophobia, outness, and perceived discrimination all independently predict psychological well-being. Explicitly, greater reports of internalized homophobia, outness, and perceived discrimination predicted worse psychological well-being in participants. However, the effects of internalized homophobia and outness were no longer present when accounting for perceived discrimination, suggesting the perceived discrimination mediates the relationship between internalized homophobia, outness, and psychological well-being. Exploratory analyses revealed gender differences in psychological well-being, discrimination within the Black community, and outness.

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