Coming Out Growth: Conceptualizing and Measuring Stress-Related Growth Associated with Coming Out to Others as a Sexual Minority

Abstract

Coming out has long been depicted as a process that is conducive to personal growth. However, LGBTQ psychology has yet to conduct systematic, theoretically informed research to study how individuals experience coming out growth (COG) and the impact of such experiences on the lives of sexual minorities. The present investigation seeks to address these gaps in the literature through an examination of stress-related growth within the context of coming out as a sexual minority. Findings from a preliminary investigation of COG in a sample of 418 gay and lesbian adults are presented, including the development and initial validation of the coming out growth scale (COGS), and data addressing the relationship between COG and relevant constructs found in the literature on identity development and stress-related growth.

Coming Out and the Potential for Growth in Sexual Minorities: The Role of Social Reactions and Internalized Homonegativity

“…For example, several studies of coming out stories have indicated themes of psychological growth (e.g., King & Noelle, 2005;Rhoads, 1995), and other research factor analyzed growth-related items, finding that sexual minorities reported growth in terms of having a greater sense of authenticity, greater sense of belonging, and more positive views of LGB identity (Vaughan & Waehler, 2010). An additional study by Cox and colleagues (2011) found that acceptance by other people and ties to the LGB community predicted growth, as did age of the participant, which was inversely related to growth.…”

“…Although numerous studies have examined the relationship between coming out and well-being, fewer studies have examined a related phenomenon, stress-related growth, in the contexts of coming out (Vaughan & Waehler, 2010). Stress-related growth (also referred to as posttraumatic growth) occurs when individuals grow psychologically following a struggle with a difficult life event (Ai & Park, 2005;Kesımcı, Göral, & Gençöz, 2005).…”

“…Although stress-related growth is distinct from well-being, the two tend to be correlated (Cann, Calhoun, Tedeschi, & Solomon, 2010;McMillen, Smith, & Fisher, 1997). Vaughan and Waehler (2010) have suggested that such growth is possible stemming from the coming-out process of sexual minority individuals, but currently few studies have investigated A c c e p t e d M a n u s c r i p t 6 Coming Out and Well-Being Meyer (2003) suggested a minority stress model to explain the higher prevalence of mental health issues experienced by sexual minorities, postulating that such issues stem from social prejudices towards LGBs. One might take from this model that hiding sexual minority status is always adaptive, since doing so reduces the risk of hostility from the social environment.…”

Narracja tożsamościowa kobiety transseksualnej – studium przypadku

“…stres mniejszościowy, dyskryminacja, stygmatyzacja, ryzyko zaburzeń psychicznych) (por. Grabski, 2012;Iniewicz, 2012;Vaughan & Waehler, 2010). Każda osoba w odmienny sposób poradzi sobie z tymi doświadczeniami i inaczej rozwiąże stoją-ce przed nią zadania rozwojowe.…”

Outness among LGBTQ Social Work Students in North America: The Contribution of Environmental Supports and Perceptions of Comfort

“…The general challenges of being 'out' are well-documented regarding increased experiences of homophobia and stigma (Bonet, Wells, & Parsons, 2007;Herek, 2007), victimization and bullying (Cox, Dewaele, Van Houtte, & Vincke, 2010), increased family stress or crises (LaSala, 2000), and heightened risk of discrimination or harassment (Mohr, 1992;Rhoads, 1995), including such risk within workplace environments . The literature also provides examples of benefits to disclosing one's sexual identity including higher self-esteem and empowerment (Rasmussen, 2004), improved well-being (Clausell & Roisman, 2009), and a newly gained sense of strength, courage, and resilience (Vaughan & Waehler, 2010). Morris, Waldo, and Rothblum (2001) found that an inverse relationship existed between outness and psychological distress, as those more 'out' experienced less challenges and symptoms related to overall health and mental health, including decreased levels of suicidal ideation.…”