The link between gender nonconformity and psychopathology may be due in part to negative childhood experiences resulting from other people’s reactions to gender nonconformity. The aim of this study was to test whether recalled perceived levels of parental and peer acceptance of childhood gender nonconforming behaviors and play mediate the relationship of childhood gender nonconformity with depression and social anxiety in adulthood. We also tested whether this relationship was moderated by sexual orientation and, among gay men, whether internalized homophobia was an additional mediator. All variables were measured in a large sample of male participants using self-report (n = 449 gay men, age: M = 27.8 years, SD = 6.69; and n = 296 heterosexual men, age: M = 27.4 years, SD = 6.57) in Poland. Gay men reported more childhood gender nonconformity than heterosexual men. The relationship between gender nonconformity and depressive symptoms as well as social anxiety symptoms was significant in both gay and heterosexual men. Among gay men, this relationship was partially mediated by peer but not parental acceptance of the measured aspects of gender nonconformity and internalized homophobia. Among heterosexual men, recalled perceived parental acceptance of gender nonconformity partially mediated the relationship between gender nonconformity and depressive and social anxiety symptoms. Our findings were partially in line with those found in Western European and North American samples. Although the two groups differed in their recalled perceived gender nonconformity, they did not differ in their depression or social anxiety scores. Nevertheless, childhood gender nonconformity may be an indirect risk associated with mental health symptoms, irrespective of sexual orientation. Its higher prevalence among nonheterosexual individuals makes it a particular risk for this group.

性别不合格和精神病理学之间的联系可能部分是由于其他人对性别不合格的反应导致的负面童年经历。本研究的目的是测试回忆的父母和同伴对儿童性别不合格行为和游戏的认知水平是否在儿童性别不合格与成年期抑郁和社交焦虑的关系中起中介作用。我们还测试了这种关系是否受到性取向的调节，以及在男同性恋者中，内化的同性恋恐惧症是否是一个额外的中介。所有变量均使用自我报告在大量男性参与者样本中测量（n  = 449 名男同性恋者，年龄：M = 27.8 岁，SD = 6.69；n = 296 名异性恋男性，年龄：M = 27.4 岁，SD = 6.57）在波兰。男同性恋者比异性恋者报告了更多的童年性别不合格。在男同性恋和异性恋男性中，性别不符合与抑郁症状以及社交焦虑症状之间的关系都很显着。在男同性恋者中，这种关系部分是由同伴而不是父母对性别不从众和内化同性恋恐惧症的测量方面的接受来介导的。在异性恋男性中，回忆起父母对性别不从众的接受部分介导了性别不从众与抑郁和社交焦虑症状之间的关系。我们的发现与西欧和北美样本中的发现部分一致。尽管这两组在回忆的性别不合格方面有所不同，他们的抑郁或社交焦虑评分没有差异。然而，无论性取向如何，儿童时期的性别不符合可能是与心理健康症状相关的间接风险。它在非异性恋者中较高的流行率使其成为该群体的特殊风险。