Sexual minority students in non-affirming religious higher education: Mental health, outness, and identity.

Abstract

Sexual minority (SM) students are vulnerable to increased rates of psychological distress and harassment as a result of stigma and other forms of marginalization in the college environment. However, little research has been conducted on the experiences and psychological functioning among SMs who attend nonaffirming religiously affiliated universities (NARAUs) that enforce restrictive admission and conduct policies toward SM students, and/or view same-sex romantic expressions and identities as sinful. SM students (N ϭ 213) attending NARAUs completed the Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms (CCAPS), the Outness Inventory (OI), and the Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Identity Scale (LGBIS). Results indicate that SM students who attend Mormon, Evangelical, and Nondenominational Christian NARAUs had more difficultly coming to terms with their sexual orientation than those in Catholic or Mainline Protestant schools. Furthermore, Mormon students reported significantly more incongruence between their sexual orientation and religious beliefs than other religious groups. Students who were involved with a Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) had significantly less difficultly with their sexual orientation, less negative identities, and less religious incongruence than those students not involved with a GSA. More than 1 third (37%) reported being bullied or harassed at school because of their sexual orientation. Almost 1 in 5 (17%) reported a mental health professional had attempted to change their sexual orientation. Implications and recommendations for NARAU campus communities and counseling centers are discussed.

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“…Interestingly, sexual minorities who are evangelical or attend evangelical institutions do not report higher levels of depression and social anxiety than those at other religious institutions (Wolff et al, 2016). They posit that these students' religious beliefs are likely aligned with the institution and along with Yarhouse et al (2009) suggest that "religion may offer a substantial amount of comfort and source of community to many sexual minority (SM) individuals who find incongruence with their sexual orientation and their faith" (Wolff et al, 2016, p. 209).…”

“…Sexual minority students at non-affirming religious institutions who experience bullying reported higher levels of depression (Wolff, Himes, Soares, & Miller Kwon, 2016); this is particularly troubling in light of the fact that 37% of the students in this study reported bullying compared to 27% of all students nationally (Rankin, Weber, Blumenfeld, & Frazer, 2010, as cited in Wolff et al, 2016). In contrast, the Watson (2015) study of microaggressive behavior found that, while such behavior was present, bullying and physical aggression were the least mentioned type of experience.…”

“…More than half of the sexual minority students in a recent study reported having a conversation about their sexuality with a faculty member or classmate, with more than two-thirds speaking with a roommate (Wolff et al, 2016). The participants in Watson's (2015) study describe "pockets of safety," referring to trustworthy faculty, staff, and students who encouraged and accepted them.…”

“…Stratton et al (2013) contend that Christian universities can preserve their religious beliefs while providing a supportive environment for students who are still developing their sexual identity. However, their ability to provide a supportive environment is hampered by the prevailing negative climate towards homosexuality (LaFave et al, 2014;Stratton et al, 2013;Watson, 2015;Wolff et al, 2012;Wolff et al, 2016;Yarhouse et al, 2009). This negativity manifests itself primarily in the form of verbal (Yarhouse et al, 2009) and nonverbal microagressive behaviors (Watson, 2015) and is associated with somewhat higher incidents of bullying than at other universities (Wolff et al, 2016).…”

“…However, their ability to provide a supportive environment is hampered by the prevailing negative climate towards homosexuality (LaFave et al, 2014;Stratton et al, 2013;Watson, 2015;Wolff et al, 2012;Wolff et al, 2016;Yarhouse et al, 2009). This negativity manifests itself primarily in the form of verbal (Yarhouse et al, 2009) and nonverbal microagressive behaviors (Watson, 2015) and is associated with somewhat higher incidents of bullying than at other universities (Wolff et al, 2016). The literature does not suggest that physical aggression towards gay and lesbian students is prevalent at religious universities, despite this prevalent negative climate.…”