Self-compassion as a mediator of the relationship between social support and identity affirmation in sexual minority adults

Identity affirmation refers to comfort and pride in sexual minority identity, and consideration of this as a positive facet of one's identity. Evidence demonstrates that identity affirmation is beneficial for sexual minority individuals, yet little is known about factors predicting identity affirmation. The current research examines social support as a predictor of identity affirmation in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ) adults, and tests whether self-compassion mediates this. A sample of 597 LGBQ adults (Mage = 40.48 years, SD = 14.62) completed an online anonymous survey assessing demographic characteristics, self-compassion, social support, and identity affirmation. Social support predicted identity affirmation both directly, and indirectly via self-compassion, though sexual identity moderated these effects. Specifically, social support predicted greater identity affirmation via self-compassion among gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals. However, among queer-identified individuals, there were no direct or indirect effects found. Results suggest that social connection may help to foster identity affirmation by enhancing attitudes of acceptance and kindness towards oneself, at least among gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals. Findings also suggest there may be unique predictors of identity affirmation for queer-identified individuals, and further research is needed to identify these predictors. Interventions targeting social factors and self-compassion may warrant further investigation to assess whether they can help to cultivate identity affirmation in LGBQ adults.