TY - JOUR
T1 - Stigma, Depression, Suicidal Thoughts and Coping of Sexual Minority Youth Raised in Conservative Versus Mainstream Denominations of Christianity
T2 - A Mixed Method Study
AU - van Bergen, Diana
AU - Smit, Alette
AU - Feddes, Allard R.
N1 - Funding Information:
The research was funded by the Ministry of Health in the Netherlands, who paid the Netherlands Institute for Social Research to conduct the study.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023, The Author(s).
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - We quantitatively examined whether Dutch sexual minority youth raised with conservative Protestantism reported more family- and self-stigmatization, suicidal ideation, and depression than those socialized by Catholicism or Mainline Protestantism. Subsequently, we qualitatively examined how youth raised with conservative Protestantism coped with sexuality identity and mental health challenges. Survey data came from sexual minority youth (N = 584, age 16–25) raised with conservative Protestantism (Evangelical/Pentecostal n = 44 and Dutch Orthodox Reformed n = 88, Mainline Protestantism n = 117, and Catholicism n = 335). Group differences in associations were studied through univariate analysis of variance. Next, thematic and interpretative analyses of six interviews of survey respondents raised with conservative Protestantism were performed. Sexual minority youth raised with Evangelicalism/Pentecostalism reported significant higher levels of family stigmatization and suicidal ideation than youth raised with other Christian religions. They addressed these challenges by religious coping, formulating critiques of stigma, and support from Christian self-help groups.
AB - We quantitatively examined whether Dutch sexual minority youth raised with conservative Protestantism reported more family- and self-stigmatization, suicidal ideation, and depression than those socialized by Catholicism or Mainline Protestantism. Subsequently, we qualitatively examined how youth raised with conservative Protestantism coped with sexuality identity and mental health challenges. Survey data came from sexual minority youth (N = 584, age 16–25) raised with conservative Protestantism (Evangelical/Pentecostal n = 44 and Dutch Orthodox Reformed n = 88, Mainline Protestantism n = 117, and Catholicism n = 335). Group differences in associations were studied through univariate analysis of variance. Next, thematic and interpretative analyses of six interviews of survey respondents raised with conservative Protestantism were performed. Sexual minority youth raised with Evangelicalism/Pentecostalism reported significant higher levels of family stigmatization and suicidal ideation than youth raised with other Christian religions. They addressed these challenges by religious coping, formulating critiques of stigma, and support from Christian self-help groups.
KW - Christianity
KW - Family acceptance
KW - Mental health
KW - Sexual minority youth
KW - Suicidality
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85147946853&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s12119-022-10050-2
DO - 10.1007/s12119-022-10050-2
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85147946853
SN - 1095-5143
VL - 27
SP - 972
EP - 994
JO - Sexuality and Culture
JF - Sexuality and Culture
ER -