The Minority Stress of Being Gay and Catholic among Selected Filipino Youth: A Basis for the Development of a Psycho-education Module
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Abstract
A person’s identity is an intricate construct. Societal and personal factors help shape individual identities, however these might lead to conflicts between personal and religious identities. Among the LGBT youth, the negotiation of religious and sexual identity remains to be a delicate circumstance that can lead to minority stress. The primary focus of this study is to explore the sexual and religious identities as well as the minority stress among self-identified Catholic gays in their youth. This explanatory study utilized research questionnaires: Religious Identity Development Scale (RIDS), Gay Identity Questionnaire (GIQ) and Sexual Minority Stress Scale (SMSS) to quantify level of religious identity, sexual identity and sexual minority stress of LGBT youth. Descriptive statistics and regression analysis were employed for the data gathered. Results revealed that religious identity and gay identity, and religious identity and sexual minority stress were not significantly correlated; however, sexual minority stress and gay identity were inversely correlated. Regression analysis revealed that gay and religious identities together predicted sexual minority stress. Hence, evidence-based information for mental health professionals and stakeholders is warranted in developing intervention programs that will primarily focus on addressing the distress experienced by Catholic youths in the LGBTQ+ community.
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