Date of Award

Spring 2022

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Psychology; College of Arts & Sciences

First Advisor

Dr. Moore

Abstract

Growing up a member of the lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) community comes with its own distinct struggles. Whether it be attempting to integrate an LGB sexual identity with a religious identity, or coming out to friends and family members, there are multiple opportunities for an LGB individual to experience rejection. This rejection, or fear of potential rejection, can detrimentally impact someone’s mental health. As LGB identities are becoming more accepted overall, LGB youth tend to come out earlier. As a result, the coming out experience often coincides with a particularly turbulent time in their social and emotional development. One might wonder, “How do familial factors such as religiosity or parental rejection impact an LGB individual, both socially and emotionally?” Within this literature review, the history of security and attachment theory is established as a foundation from which to explore these familial factors. Through this overarching lens of attachment theory, both religiosity and parental acceptance and/or rejection are examined as factors that may impact the attachment style of an LGB individual over time. Research revealed that LGB individuals are more insecurely attached than their heterosexual counterparts, and that acceptance from family of origin (i.e., parents/guardians) is a factor that can accurately predict future mental health outcomes. Gaps in the research regarding transgender and gender non-conforming individuals, as well as future directions, are discussed.

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How Religion & Acceptance Affect Attachment: The Impact of Familial Factors on LGB Youth

Growing up a member of the lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) community comes with its own distinct struggles. Whether it be attempting to integrate an LGB sexual identity with a religious identity, or coming out to friends and family members, there are multiple opportunities for an LGB individual to experience rejection. This rejection, or fear of potential rejection, can detrimentally impact someone’s mental health. As LGB identities are becoming more accepted overall, LGB youth tend to come out earlier. As a result, the coming out experience often coincides with a particularly turbulent time in their social and emotional development. One might wonder, “How do familial factors such as religiosity or parental rejection impact an LGB individual, both socially and emotionally?” Within this literature review, the history of security and attachment theory is established as a foundation from which to explore these familial factors. Through this overarching lens of attachment theory, both religiosity and parental acceptance and/or rejection are examined as factors that may impact the attachment style of an LGB individual over time. Research revealed that LGB individuals are more insecurely attached than their heterosexual counterparts, and that acceptance from family of origin (i.e., parents/guardians) is a factor that can accurately predict future mental health outcomes. Gaps in the research regarding transgender and gender non-conforming individuals, as well as future directions, are discussed.