Minority Stress and Quality of Life Among Sexual Minorities: The Role of Sexuality-Specific Parental Support and Parental Attitudes

Abstract

Background: Sexual minorities face elevated risks of reduced quality of life compared to their heterosexual peers. According to the minority stress model, these disparities stem from additional stressors associated with their minority status, including distal stressors (e.g., discrimination, victimisation, and microaggressions) and proximal stressors (e.g., identity concealment, rejection anticipation, internalised homophobia, and community connectedness).

Objective: To examine the unique and combined effects of distal and proximal stress on quality of life among sexual minorities, and to test whether sexuality-specific parental support and parental acceptance moderate these associations.

Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was completed by 250 sexual minority participants. Distal and proximal stress were assessed alongside measures of self-esteem, dispositional optimism, sexuality-specific parental support, and parental acceptance. Hierarchical regression and moderation analyses were conducted to evaluate predictors of quality of life and potential buffering effects.

Results: Both forms of stress independently predicted poorer quality of life, though distal stress was the stronger predictor. After accounting for self-esteem and dispositional optimism, proximal stress no longer explained unique variance in quality of life. Sexuality-specific parental support and maternal acceptance moderated the association between distal stress and quality of life. In contrast, neither moderated the effects of proximal stress, and paternal acceptance did not moderate the effects of either stressor.

Conclusion: Findings highlight the importance of strengthening psychological resources, reducing distal stressors at structural and interpersonal levels, and fostering positive family dynamics to improve quality of life among sexual minorities.