Profiles of parental response, intersectional microaggressions, and mental health problems among sexual and gender minority youth of color

Abstract

Sexual and gender minority youth of color (SGM YOC) face compounded mental health disparities due to oppression experienced at the intersection of racism, cissexism, and heterosexism. Parental responses to youth's sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) are critical in shaping youth mental health outcomes, yet prior research has often simplified these responses into a unidimensional acceptance–rejection continuum. Using data from the 2022 LGBTQ National Teen Survey ( n  = 3187 SGM YOC), this study challenged such an oversimplified conceptualization by exploring heterogeneous patterns of parental responses to children's SOGI among SGM YOC. Further, we also examined the distinct implications of each identified profile for SGM YOC's mental health problems and how the association between intersectional microaggressions and mental health problems might vary across the identified profiles. Three distinct SOGI‐specific parental response profiles were found: High Rejection Low Acceptance Response (24.10%), Low Rejection Low Acceptance Response (50.30%), and Low Rejection High Acceptance Response (25.60%). Profile membership varied by race/ethnicity, sex assigned at birth, gender identity, sexual orientation, and caregiver education level. Youth in the High Rejection Low Acceptance Response profile reported significantly higher levels of mental health problems compared with those in the Low Rejection Low Acceptance Response and Low Rejection High Acceptance Response profiles. SOGI‐specific parental response profile membership moderated the association between intersectional microaggressions and mental health problems. Intersectional microaggressions were more strongly associated with mental health problems among youth in the Low Rejection Low Acceptance Response profile than among those in the High Rejection Low Acceptance Response profile, with higher overall mental health problems in the latter profile. By identifying diverse patterns of SOGI‐specific parental responses and the differential consequences for understanding how SGM YOC's intersectional minority stress relates to mental well‐being, our findings underscore the importance of culturally responsive interventions that engage parental figures as active agents of affirmation, support, and socialization, ultimately fostering SGM YOC's positive development amid intersecting systems of oppression.