Rejected by Caregivers but Connected to Others: Resilience Factors and Negative Mental Health Outcomes Among LGBTQ+ Emerging Adults

LGBTQ + emerging adults who are rejected by their caregivers often experience negative mental health outcomes, lower resilience, and decreased ability to establish positive social support networks. The current study used a sample of 460 LGBTQ + emerging adults (ages 18–25, M age = 21.6) to examine the relationships between caregiver rejection and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Also, we examined the mediating role of psychosocial resources at the individual level (i.e., resilience) and community level (i.e., social support from significant other, family, and friends) in the relationship between caregiver rejection and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Resilience, but not social support, partially mediated the positive relationships between caregiver rejection and all mental health outcomes. Findings suggest that although early exposure to caregiver rejection is associated with a diminished ability to develop intrapersonal resilience, LGBTQ + emerging adults who are rejected by their caregivers may still develop strong social support networks that shield them from the negative psychological effects of early rejection.