Navigating Family Relationships in the Context of Intersecting Stigmas: LGBTQ+ Individuals with Psychiatric Diagnoses

This qualitative study examines how LGBTQ+ individuals with psychiatric diagnoses make sense of and navigate family relationships in the context of intersecting stigmas. The intersection of psychiatric diagnoses and sexual or gender minority identities gives rise to complex, relationally embedded forms of stigma, positioning the family as a central site of both support and constraint. Guided by minority stress theory, the study conceptualizes these experiences through family dynamics of ambivalence and the “double closet,” which shape how individuals negotiate identity, disclosure, and belonging. Thirty LGBTQ+ individuals aged 19–63, receiving public mental health rehabilitation services in Israel, participated in semi-structured interviews that were thematically analyzed. The analysis identified three central themes: rejection and enforced concealment within family contexts; family relationships as sites of control, intrusion, and normative regulation; and ambivalent and conditional forms of acceptance. Family relationships thus emerge as central arenas in which intersecting stigmas are produced and negotiated, shaping both vulnerability and recovery processes. These findings highlight the importance of attending to family dynamics in research and practice concerning mental health among LGBTQ+ individuals with psychiatric diagnoses.