Discrimination and Psychological Well-Being Among LGBTQ+ Australians: The Roles of Belonging and Place of Residence.

Abstract

LGBTQ+ people continue to report poorer psychological health compared to cisgender heterosexual people. This is exacerbated in rural communities where conservative mind-sets inform expectations of heteronormativity and contribute to discrimination. A sense of belonging to the broader community can function as a protective factor alleviating the impact of discrimination on psychological wellbeing. However, this relationship has not been examined based on place of residence (rural vs metropolitan). This study investigated differences in discrimination, belonging to the broader community, and psychological well-being among LGBTQ+ adults based on their place of residence, whether belonging moderated the relationship between discrimination and psychological well-being, and whether the moderating effect was conditional on place of residence. A sample of 340 Australian LGBTQ+ adults aged 18 to 83 years (M = 39.11, SD = 14.10) completed the Everyday Discrimination Scale, Sense of Belonging Scale, and Psychological Wellbeing Scale online. Rural LGBTQ+ people reported a lower sense of belonging and psychological well-being and higher rates of discrimination compared to their metropolitan peers. Sense of belonging moderated the association between discrimination and psychological well-being, independently of place of residence. This suggests that belonging to the broader community was an important protective factor regardless of where the individual lived.