Is Religious Coping a Protective Factor, and for Whom? A Moderation and Subgroup Analysis on Loneliness and Suicide Attempts Among LGBTQ + Adults Raised as Latter‐Day Saints

Introduction LGBTQ+ adults face elevated rates of loneliness and suicide attempts, yet little research has examined whether religious coping—a protective factor for people generally—effectively mitigates these risks for LGBTQ+ adults raised in theologically conservative, cis/heteronormative religious traditions. Method This longitudinal study examined whether religious coping moderates the relationship between loneliness and suicide attempts among 369 LGBTQ+ adults who at some point in their lives were part of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter‐day Saints, a notably cis/heteronormative tradition, across levels of immoral views of same‐sex sexuality and demographic subgroups. Results Contrary to expectations, religious coping generally exacerbated rather than buffered the loneliness‐suicide relationship, with greater religious coping strengthening the loneliness‐suicide relationship among White and transgender/gender‐diverse adults. Religious coping buffered the impact of loneliness on suicide attempts only for adults of Color and non‐religious adults. Conclusion These findings challenge assumptions about the universal benefits of religious coping for LGBTQ+ adults raised LDS, suggesting that suicide prevention research should assess individuals' views of the morality of same‐sex sexuality rather than promoting religious coping universally, as this may inadvertently increase risk for certain LGBTQ+ adults in similarly theologically conservative religious contexts.