The Moderating Effect of Comfort from Companion Animals and Social Support on the Relationship between Microaggressions and Mental Health in LGBTQ+ Emerging Adults

Abstract

LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other sexual/gender minority identities) individuals frequently report exposure to microaggressions, which are associated with deleterious mental health outcomes. Social support from humans has been found to be an important protective factor for LGBTQ+ emerging adults. However, an underexplored area of research is the protective role of interactions with companion animals for this population. We conducted simple and multiple moderation analyses to explore whether and to what extent emotional comfort from companion animals and human social support moderated the relationship between LGBTQ-related microaggressions and depressive and anxiety symptoms. Our sample included 134 LGBTQ+ emerging adults (mean age of 19.31). We found that social support moderated the relationship between microaggressions and depressive symptoms. The relationship between microaggressions and depressive symptoms was not significant at high levels of social support, indicating the protective nature of human social support. Comfort from companion animals also moderated the relationship between interpersonal microaggressions and depressive symptoms. For participants with high or medium levels of emotional comfort from companion animals, interpersonal microaggressions were positively associated with depressive symptoms. Our results highlight the need to further investigate the complex role of relationships with companion animals on mental health outcomes for LGBTQ+ emerging adults.

Relations Between Sexual and Gender Minority Stress, Personal Hardiness, and Psychological Stress in Emerging Adulthood: Examining Indirect Effects via Human-animal Interaction

“…However, in our mediation model, only microaggressions were significantly associated with HAI, and only one significant direct effect was detected: as experiences of microaggressions increased, so did psychological stress. The latter is consistent with several studies reporting a deleterious impact of microaggressions on mental health in SGM and other minoritized populations (Matijczak et al, 2021; Nadal et al, 2014). The lack of significant associations between victimization and adjustment in our model is surprising and may reflect a measurement issue that stems from our reliance on cumulative experiences, rather than severity and frequency of victimizations.…”

“He was like, my ride or die”: Sexual and Gender Minority Emerging Adults’ Perspectives on Living With Pets During the Transition to Adulthood

“…The results of our study support a central hypothesis in the HAI field: in the context of past and/or current adversity, aspects of HAI, such as bonds and attachment, may confer unique and pronounced benefits in relation to human health and wellbeing (Hawkins et al, 2019; Matijczak et al, 2021). Our work also extends much of the literature on HAI to date and provides evidence that overt and subtle stressors that are disproportionately prevalent among marginalized and/or minority groups and their effects on emerging adult transitions may be exacerbated by several aspects of the human-animal bond and multispecies cohabitation.…”

“…The risks and benefits of living with pets may be particularly salient for emerging adults from marginalized backgrounds, such as sexual and gender minority (SGM; e.g. lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other sexual and gender identities, or “LGBTQ + ”) young people who experience disproportionate risk for adversity (e.g., employment discrimination, housing insecurity, family and peer rejection) and a broad range of health disparities (Matijczak et al, 2021; McDonald, O’Connor, et al, 2021; McDonald, Murphy, et al, 2021). Several studies link pet ownership and strong bonds with pets to barriers in housing security, healthcare, and personal safety in a variety of population groups (e.g., survivors of domestic violence; Collins et al, 2018; Graham et al, 2018; Power, 2017; Rhoades et al, 2015; Rose et al, 2020).…”

Protective Factors for LGBTI+ Youth Wellbeing: A Scoping Review Underpinned by Recognition Theory

“…Within broader understandings of family, although after the date that the search was run, an emergent topic area suggests companion animals, particularly family cats and dogs, can promote LGBTI+ youth wellbeing [ 159 , 160 ]. This may indicate the promotive effects of human–animal bonds [ 47 ].…”