Acculturation Strategies and Mental Health in Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Youth

• NCJ Number: 231905
• Journal: Journal of Youth and Adolescence Volume: 39 Issue: 10 Dated: October 2010 Pages: 1199-1210
• Author(s): Nele Cox; Wim Vanden Berghe; Alexis Dewaele; John Vincke
• Date Published: October 2010
• Length: 12 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study investigated the acculturation strategies employed by lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) youth in Flanders, Belgium.

Abstract

In this article, we examine the impact of acculturation strategies on minority stress and mental health in lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) youth in Flanders, Belgium. Building on previous identity minority studies and on the social stress model, the authors investigate how LGB youth acculturate within both the LGB subculture and mainstream society and how this correlates with their mental health. The authors sample is taken from an online survey and represents 561 LGB youth aged 14 through 21. The four traditional acculturation strategies are represented in this population (integration, separation, marginalization, assimilation). Bisexual boys are mostly absent from separation and integration strategies; gay and lesbian youth in middle adolescence are significantly more represented in the separation strategy compared to their late adolescence counterparts. Further, the findings suggest the relevance of identification with the LGB community, especially for internalized negative attitudes toward homosexuality. LGB youth who identify with the LGB community score significantly lower on this internalized homonegativity. Figure, tables, and references (Published Abstract)