The Factors Related to Psychological Well-Being Among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) Populations in Thailand.

Abstract

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) individuals globally face health disparities due to minority-specific stressors, impacting their psychological well-being (PWB). However, little is known about the influences of minority-specific stress on PWB experienced by LGBTQ+ individuals in Thailand. The study's purpose was to examine levels of PWB and correlates among Thai LGBTQ+ individuals. Guided by the Minority Stress Model (MSM), standardized measures of demographic factors, minority-specific stressors, and PWB were applied. Participants were recruited by convenience and snowball sampling. Data were collected using online and paper-pencil surveys in 2024. Results showed that the mean age of the 436 participants was 35 years (S.D. = 6.63). A total of 65.4% identified themselves as male, 39.9% as homosexual, and 60.3% as transgender. Participants commonly experienced minority-specific stressors, including discriminatory experiences, victimization events, anticipated rejection, identity concealment, and internalized homophobia. The mean score of PWB was M = 78.18 (SD = 11.60). More than half of LGBTQ+ participants reported high levels of PWB (56%). Significant negative correlations were found with the number and frequency of discrimination situations (r = -0.404, -0.312), victimization events (r = -0.369), anticipated rejection (r = -0.471), and internalized homophobia (r = -0.476), while lower concealment about one's identity was positively correlated (r = 0.500) with PWB. These findings highlight the substantial impact of minority-specific stressors on LGBTQ+ well-being, with critical implications for nursing practice and intervention research.