A study on factors affecting psychological capital in employed LGBTQ+ individuals

Abstract

Background: Individuals who belong to the LGBTQ+ community usually have a lower level of hope, efficacy, resilience, and optimism than the general population. Factors such as age, perceived social support (PSS), and coming out influence psychological capital (PsyCap) in LGBTQ+ individuals. The aim of the current study is to investigate factors such as age, PSS, and coming out influencing PsyCap, among employed LGBTQ+ individuals. Methodology: The data for the study were collected through Google Forms. The sample consists of 200 employed individuals who belong to the LGBTQ+ community using purposive sampling. The sample was evaluated using a sociodemographic profile pro forma, the 24-item PsyCap Questionnaire, and the Multidimensional Scale of PSS (MSPSS). The individuals were divided into groups based on age, PSS, and status of coming out and their scores on the PsyCap were compared and the data were statistically analyzed. Results: The PsyCap scores were compared on the basis of age groups, having come out or not come out, and scores on the MSPSS. The study showed that in employed LGBTQ+ individuals, coming out (t = 2.52, P = 0.012) and PSS (F = 31.84, P = 0.0001) had a positive effect on PsyCap, whereas age did not appear to be a significant variable causing improvement in PsyCap (t = 0.206, P = 0.837). Conclusions: Coming out and social support are important factors to build PsyCap in LGBTQ+ individuals. Further studies in larger workforces of these individuals in diverse workplace shall help us extrapolate the findings of the current study better.