ABSTRACT

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals experience multiple forms of discrimination both offline and online. Most studies have thus far focused on the association between a few forms of offline discrimination and mental distress in this population. Using data collected from 1,735 Israeli LGB individuals, this study examined the associations between 18 forms of discrimination and mental distress across three distinct spaces – offline, on Facebook, and on dating platforms. Furthermore, LGBTQ Facebook use (defined as engagement with LGBTQ individuals, groups and content on Facebook) was examined as a moderator of the association between multiple forms of discrimination and mental distress. Hierarchical multiple regressions and slope analyses established positive associations between multiple forms of discrimination and mental distress in all three spaces. The moderating effect of LGBTQ Facebook use on this association was significant only for gay men. Results also indicated significant differences in number of forms of discrimination faced by LGB individuals from different demographic backgrounds. Additionally, the associations between each form of discrimination and mental distress were examined across the three spaces, with somewhat different results in each space. Overall, these findings emphasize social media’s potential to buffer against the deleterious effect of discrimination on LGB people’s mental health.

摘要

女同性恋、男同性恋和双性恋 (LGB) 个人在线下和在线上都会遭受多种形式的歧视。迄今为止，大多数研究都集中在这一人群中几种形式的线下歧视与精神痛苦之间的关联。这项研究使用从 1,735 名以色列 LGB 个人收集的数据，检查了 18 种形式的歧视与心理困扰在三个不同空间（离线、Facebook 和约会平台）之间的关联。此外，LGBTQ Facebook 使用（定义为与 Facebook 上的 LGBTQ 个人、团体和内容的互动）被认为是多种形式的歧视与精神痛苦之间关联的调节因素。分层多元回归和斜率分析在所有三个空间中建立了多种形式的歧视与精神困扰之间的正相关。LGBTQ Facebook 使用对这种关联的调节作用仅对男同性恋者显着。结果还表明，来自不同人口背景的 LGB 个体面临的歧视形式数量存在显着差异。此外，在三个空间中检查了每种形式的歧视与精神痛苦之间的关联，每个空间的结果都有些不同。总体而言，这些发现强调了社交媒体缓冲歧视对 LGB 人心理健康的有害影响的潜力。结果还表明，来自不同人口背景的 LGB 个体面临的歧视形式数量存在显着差异。此外，在三个空间中检查了每种形式的歧视与精神痛苦之间的关联，每个空间的结果都有些不同。总体而言，这些发现强调了社交媒体缓冲歧视对 LGB 人心理健康的有害影响的潜力。结果还表明，来自不同人口背景的 LGB 个体面临的歧视形式数量存在显着差异。此外，在三个空间中检查了每种形式的歧视与精神痛苦之间的关联，每个空间的结果都有些不同。总体而言，这些发现强调了社交媒体缓冲歧视对 LGB 人心理健康的有害影响的潜力。