Posttraumatic stress and growth in a sample of LGBTQA+ survivors of conversion practices

Conversion practices aim to suppress or change minority gender identity or sexual orientations to cisgender and heterosexual. They are ineffective at achieving these goals and instead cause harm to those who experience them. Conversion practices may lead to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Prior research has shown that posttraumatic growth – the positive psychological changes that can arise after exposure to a traumatic event – may account for the absence of PTSD symptoms. The present study investigated if posttraumatic growth mediates the relationship between exposure to conversion practices and PSTD symptomatology. It was hypothesised that conversion practices would predict PTSD and posttraumatic growth, and that posttraumatic growth would mediate the relationship between conversion practices and PTSD symptomatology. Notably, we disentangled formal conversion practices (e.g., psychotherapy) from informal conversion practices (e.g. prayer from religious leaders). Participants were 238 Australian adult LGBTQA+ survivors of conversion practices. In multiple regression, both formal and informal conversion practices were related to PTSD (although informal practices were a better predictor). Both formal and informal practices significantly predicted posttraumatic growth. Posttraumatic growth mediated the relationship between PTSD and informal conversion practices, but not formal practices. The current study suggests that promoting posttraumatic growth may help to alleviate PTSD following conversion practices.