The relationship of parental acceptance-rejection and perceived social support with depressive symptoms and self-confidence in LGBT+ individuals

Purpose This study aims to examine the relationships between parental acceptance and rejection and perceived social support variables and depressive symptoms and self-confidence in LGBT+ young adults living in Turkey. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional correlational online survey was conducted with 126 LGBT+ young adults aged 18–35 living in Turkey. Participants completed scales measuring maternal and paternal acceptance and rejection, perceived social support, depressive symptoms and self-confidence. Pearson correlations and four two-step hierarchical regression analyses were applied to examine the relationships between the variables. Using reverse-order hierarchical regressions, the additional variance explained by the parental rejection variable was evaluated after controlling for perceived social support. Maternal and paternal rejection coefficients were directly compared using linear contrasts. Finally, age and employment status were controlled for in sensitivity analyses, and HC3 robust standard errors were applied. Findings A total of 51.6% of participants scored at or above the Beck Depression Inventory cutoff. Perceived social support was significantly associated with lower depressive symptoms and higher self-confidence (all p = 0.001). Maternal rejection maintained a significant association with depressive symptoms (ß = 0.275, p = 0.002) and self-confidence (ß = −0.182, p = 0.044) after controlling for social support. Paternal rejection was significant in the initial models but was no longer statistically significant when social support was added. In reverse-order hierarchical regression analyses, maternal rejection explained significant additional variance in both outcome variables after controlling for social support. Paternal rejection did not contribute significantly. In the direct comparison, maternal and paternal rejection coefficients differed significantly for self-confidence, but not for depressive symptoms. Sensitivity analyses generally supported the main findings. However, when we used robust HC3 standard errors, the association between maternal rejection and self-confidence lost statistical significance. Research limitations/implications The cross-sectional design prevents causal interpretation of the observed associations. The relatively young, predominantly university–student sample and convenience-based online recruitment may also limit generalisability. Because all core variables were assessed using self-report measures, common method variance and social desirability bias should be considered. In addition, multiple regression analyses increased the risk of Type I error. Future research should replicate these findings using larger and more diverse samples, longitudinal designs and confirmatory analyses to clarify the temporal relationships among parental rejection, social support, depressive symptoms and self-confidence. Practical implications The findings highlight the importance of considering parental rejection and perceived social support variables in the psychological assessment of LGBT+ young adults. However, because the design is cross-sectional, causal inferences cannot be made. Social implications The findings highlight the importance of supportive family and social environments for the psychological well-being of LGBT+ young adults. Greater perceived social support was consistently associated with fewer depressive symptoms and higher self-confidence, suggesting that strengthening access to supportive relationships may be particularly relevant for this population. The persistent associations of maternal rejection with both outcomes also underscore the potential value of family-focused psychoeducation, counselling and social support initiatives aimed at reducing rejecting responses and promoting more affirming family relationships. Originality/value This study extends previous LGBT+ mental health research by distinguishing maternal from paternal acceptance-rejection rather than combining parental experiences into a single construct. It also examines self-confidence as a distinct outcome, an area less frequently studied than self-esteem. In addition, the study tests the incremental contribution of perceived social support beyond parental acceptance-rejection across depressive symptoms and self-confidence. The results show that maternal rejection retained unique associations with both outcomes, whereas paternal rejection did not after social support was entered, highlighting potentially different parental patterns.