Psychological Flexibility and Self-Compassion in Gay and Heterosexual Men: How They Relate to Childhood Memories, Shame, and Depressive Symptoms

Matos, Marcela; Carvalho, Sérgio A.; Cunha, Marina; Galhardo, Ana; Sepodes, Carlos

doi:10.1080/15538605.2017.1310007

Cited by 43 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…Puckett et al (2015) found that self-criticism partially mediated the relationship between internalized sexual stigma and negative mental health outcomes in a sexual minority sample. Matos et al (2017) found that sexual minority men seem to be less self-compassionate than heterosexual men, and this self-relating process emerged to be more strongly correlated with internal shame and depression than the heterosexual counterparts.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 90%

“…Indeed, several studies have investigated the negative impact of self-criticism on sexual minority people's wellbeing (Greene & Britton, 2015;Matos et al, 2017). Puckett et al (2015) found that self-criticism partially mediated the relationship between internalized sexual stigma and negative mental health outcomes in a sexual minority sample.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…First, based on previous studies (Glick et al, 2012;Goodenow et al, 2008;Poteat et al, 2019;Tat et al, 2015;Weatherburn et al, 2019), we expected to find higher levels of RSB in sexual minority people than heterosexual people (Hypothesis 1). Second, given the strong link between minority stress and hostile self-relating, we hypothesized that sexual minority people would show increased levels of negative dimensions of the self-relating process (selfinadequacy and self-hate) compared to heterosexual people (Matos et al, 2017;Smith et al, 2020a, b) (Hypothesis 2). Given that "negative" (self-criticism) and "positive" selfrelating (self-reassurance), even if they tend to correlate, have been found to be distinct processes (Petrocchi et al, 2019), we had no specific hypothesis on the potential effect of sexual orientation on levels of self-reassurance and types of positive affect usually linked to self-reassurance (i.e., feeling safe and content; Gilbert et al, 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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“I Do Not Like Being Me”: the Impact of Self-hate on Increased Risky Sexual Behavior in Sexual Minority People

et al. 2021

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Background Increased risky sexual behaviors (RSB) in sexual minority people relative to heterosexual individuals are well documented. However, the role of trans-diagnostic factors that are not sexual orientation-specific, such as self-criticism, in predicting RSB was understudied. The present study aimed to test participants’ gender and sexual orientation as moderators between self-criticism and RSB. Methods Data were collected during 2019. The total sample included 986 sexual minority people (Nwomen = 51%) and 853 heterosexual people (Nwomen = 46%), ranging from 18 to 35 years of age. Self-criticism dimensions (self-hate, self-inadequacy, self-reassurance), types of positive affect (relaxed, safe/content, and activated affect), and RSB were assessed. Bivariate, multivariate analyses, and moderated regression analyses were conducted. Results Sexual minority participants showed higher levels of RSB, self-hate, and self-inadequacy than heterosexual people. Only in sexual minority men, RSB correlated positively with self-hate and negatively with safe/content positive affect. Moderated regressions showed that only for sexual minority participants, higher RSB were predicted by higher levels of self-hate. At the same time, this association was not significant for heterosexual people controlling the effects of age, presence of a stable relationship, other self-criticism dimensions, and activation safe/content affect scale. The two-way interaction between sexual orientation and gender was significant, showing that regardless of self-hate, the strength of the association between sexual orientation and RSB is stronger for sexual minority men than sexual minority women and heterosexual participants. Conclusions Findings highlight the distinctive role of self-hate in the occurrence of RSB in sexual minority people and support the usefulness of developing a compassion-focused intervention to target self-hate in sexual minority people.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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“I Do Not Like Being Me”: the Impact of Self-hate on Increased Risky Sexual Behavior in Sexual Minority People

et al. 2021

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“…My MDMA experience has also facilitated greater self-compassion and psychological flexibility, which have been especially helpful in terms of adapting to, easing, and coexisting with the chronic dissonance I felt between my sexual and ethnic identities while attempting to navigate my ethnic community and LGBTQIA+ spaces. Indeed, self-compassion and psychological flexibility have been shown to promote mental wellness in sexual minorities by ameliorate internalized homophobia (Beard, Eames, & Withers, 2017;Matos, Carvalho, Cunha, Galhardo, & Sepodes, 2017).…”

Section: Final Thoughtsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intersectional insights from an MDMA-assisted psychotherapy training trial: An open letter to racial/ethnic and sexual/gender minorities

Ching

2019

Journal of Psychedelic Studies

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The road to the current psychedelic renaissance in research on ±3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) – the active ingredient of the drug Ecstasy – for addressing treatment-resistant post-traumatic stress disorder has been fraught with political and academic bias, as well as cultural stigma among underserved populations, all of which serve as barriers to minority inclusion and participation. In this open letter to ethnic/racial and sexual/gender minorities, the author details intersectional insights from his own experience being administered MDMA legally as part of a therapist training trial for MDMA-assisted psychotherapy, in hopes of radically destigmatizing this treatment approach for marginalized populations. Themes covered include: set and setting; cultural pride; LGBTQIA+ pride; acceptance of intersectionality; and patience, perspective, and strength in retrospection. This letter concludes by tasking current investigators of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy to emphasize issues of intersecting identities (e.g., in terms of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and gender identity) in their research agenda, attempt to improve minority participation in a culturally attuned manner, as well as increase minority stakeholdership in this field.

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“…As the child develops, the memories of sexual trauma emerge that he was sexually abused with feelings contradictory between the sense of pleasure and happiness and the shame, guilt and dejection and other symptoms like physical symptoms, depression and PTSD including gay behaviors [43][44][45].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gay Behaviors and Persistent Problems: Looked Globally Through the Lens of an Overview and a Single Case Report

Helmi

Qureshi

2021

INDJ

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Background: Prior to 1973, homosexuality was considered a mental disorder. Gay Rights Movement in European-Western world, controversial variegated theories and political all out efforts ultimately removed homosexuality from Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-I&II) with highly conflicting consequences to major religions of the world. Objective: This study aimed to overview gay behavior and described a single case with assaults and mixed emotions of gay activities at younger age who visited psychiatric clinics for consultation and treatment of gay behavior. Methods: Electronic searches of relevant literature were conducted for retrieving most influential articles published in PubMed, Google Scholar and ScienceDirect using keywords and Boolean Operators and following eligibility criteria retained 54 articles. We comprehensively evaluated this case in outpatient clinic and systematically administered 12 sessions of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT). Results: Currently, the diagnostic terms in terms of sexual and transgender identity disorder are used to address the problems of gay people in DSM or high risk homosexual behavior having problems with lifestyle in International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10). One person with chronic passive gay behavior with distressful aversion at later stage presented to the psychiatric clinic, expressed strong desire and motivation to change it, and after 12 CBT sessions improved and began to enjoy heterosexual life. Conclusion: Although homosexuality fully derecognized in two major diagnostic classification systems of mental disorders across the world, some persons with agonizing and painful gay symptoms and psychiatric disorders and addictions to various substances eventually seek help from mental health professionals who manage them by diverse interventions resulting in better outcome and good quality of life including marital stability. Therefore, gay people presenting with psychological conditions or distressful behaviors need mental health services for changing their gay to heterosexual style and simultaneously addressing mental and physical disorders globally.

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Psychological Flexibility and Self-Compassion in Gay and Heterosexual Men: How They Relate to Childhood Memories, Shame, and Depressive Symptoms

Cited by 43 publications

References 52 publications

“I Do Not Like Being Me”: the Impact of Self-hate on Increased Risky Sexual Behavior in Sexual Minority People

“I Do Not Like Being Me”: the Impact of Self-hate on Increased Risky Sexual Behavior in Sexual Minority People

Intersectional insights from an MDMA-assisted psychotherapy training trial: An open letter to racial/ethnic and sexual/gender minorities

Gay Behaviors and Persistent Problems: Looked Globally Through the Lens of an Overview and a Single Case Report

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