Human Rights at Home and Abroad: Past, Present, and Future

found various minority stress factors have been associated to decreased job satisfaction, increased
psychological distress and more reported health problems. Minority stress factors have also been linked to
negative body image in gay men, feeling less competent and more defensiveness in lesbians, lower
relationship quality and higher rates of reported domestic violence among LGB couples (Rostosky,
Riggle, Gray & Hatton, 2007) all of which will be discussed in depth in specific relation to internalized
homophobia.
Much of the research on internalized homophobia and mental health has taken the minority stress
perspective (Frost & Meyer, 2009). Research suggests that the lesbian, gay and bisexual population, in
comparison to the heterosexual population, has a higher rate of mental health issues, such as depression
(Hatzenbuehler, 2009; Safren & Heimberg, 1999), suicide (Meyer, 2003) and substance abuse (Weber,
2008; Safren & Heimberg, 1999)
In sexual minority individuals, internalized homophobia can lead to self-devaluation and poor
self-regard (Lehavot & Simoni, 2011). Having a poor self-concept and low levels of self-esteem is one of
the first things that can commonly lead to depression. Herek, Gillis & Cogan (2009) said that internalized
homophobia can lead to a reduced trait self-esteem which can cause symptoms of anxiety and depression
as well as reducing positive affect.
Hatzenbuhler (2009) proposes that the long term stress associated with internalized homophobia
leads to maladaptive emotional regulation, which refers to the strategies we use consciously or not, to
increase, maintain or decrease our emotional responses to life events. These emotional deficits are what
he says leads to depression in sexual minority individuals with higher levels of internalized homophobia.
Depression is not the only effect internalized homophobia has on mental health. There is a
disturbing trend that occurs in the lesbian, gay and bisexual population when it comes to suicide. Gibson
(1989) reported that suicide is highly prevalent in sexual minority populations. A trend he, as well as
other researchers has noted is that rates of suicide and suicide attempt was even more prevalent in LGB
youth. Garofalo et al. (1998) conducted a survey of Massachusetts high school students and found that
LGB youth were three times more likely to have reported a suicide attempt in the year prior than their
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