Date of Award
Spring 2020
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Clinical Psychology
First Advisor
Oswald, Debra
Second Advisor
Kaugars, Astrida
Third Advisor
Nielson, Kristy
Abstract
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer individuals have been shown to experience significantly more negative health outcomes than do heterosexuals. The current study examined the effects of identity authenticity on problematic alcohol and drug use and sexual compulsivity. The current study also tested whether this relationship between identity authenticity and negative behavioral health outcomes is mediated by self-regulation depletion, as well as internalized homonegativity and rejection sensitivity. Identity authenticity was associated with self-regulation depletion, internalized homonegativity, problematic alcohol use, and sexual compulsivity. Identity authenticity did not predict rejection sensitivity or problematic drug use. Evidence supports the role of self-regulation depletion in mediating the effects of identity authenticity on problematic alcohol use, and rejection sensitivity predicted variance in alcohol use contrary to the expected direction. Self-regulation depletion mediated the effects of identity authenticity on sexual compulsivity. Internalized homonegativity also accounted for significant variance in sexual compulsivity and mediated the effects of identity authenticity. These results suggest that self-regulation effectiveness may offer an additional account of negative behavioral outcomes among sexual minorities beyond sexual minority stress as presently conceptualized.