Positive sexual and gender identity experiences: Prospective associations with affect, internalized stigma, and perceived coping efficacy among sexual minority women and gender diverse young adults.

A handful of existing studies have examined positive sexual identity experiences at the daily level. However, these studies have focused predominately on concurrent associations, produced mixed results for most outcomes (e.g., anxious affect, internalized stigma), and have not examined positive gender identity experiences. The current study aims to address these limitations by examining prospective associations between positive sexual and gender identity experiences, affect, proximal stressors (i.e., internalized and anticipated stigma), and perceived coping efficacy. The study also aims to explore contextual factors that may increase the likelihood of these events. We used data from a 30-day ecological momentary assessment study with 429 sexual minority women and gender diverse sexual minorities assigned female at birth (SMWGD). Positive sexual and gender identity experiences prospectively predicted increases in perceived coping efficacy. Positive sexual identity experiences also prospectively predicted increases in positive affect and decreases in internalized stigma. Positive sexual and gender identity experiences were also associated with increases in anxious and depressed affect, but these effects did not persist into the next day. Finally, positive sexual identity experiences were more likely to occur when participants interacted with friends, partners, and sexual and gender minority individuals. Given that reduced perceived coping efficacy and increased internalized stigma link enacted stigma with subsequent increases in anxiety and depression, our findings suggest that positive identity experiences may help to interrupt these processes and build resilience to enacted stigma, although this should be tested by future research.