(Self)tainted love: Shame and self-criticism as self-discriminatory processes underlying psychological suffering in sexual minority individuals

Sexual Minoritized (SM) people are reported to experience higher levels of psychopathology when compared to heterosexual individuals. Minority Stress Theory and Psychological Mediation Framework suggest that exposure to minority stress is responsible for this disparity. Shame is also a known risk factor for psychopathology. This study aims to test the indirect effect of discrimination on psychopathology through internalized stigma, shame, and self-criticism, in a sample of 372 SM adults. All variables were significantly correlated with each other, except internalized stigma with discrimination, anxiety, and social anxiety. Internalized stigma did not exert a significant indirect effect between discrimination and psychopathology. Shame and self-criticism were the sole significant underlying processes mediating the relationship between discrimination and psychopathology.