Associations Between Minority Stressors and Mental Health and Changes Following a Gratitude Journaling Intervention Among Sexual Minority Adults in Nigeria

Abstract Sexual minorities experience disproportionately high rates of mental health challenges due to unique stressors linked to their minority status. This study investigated the relationship between minority stressors and mental health outcomes among sexual minorities, while evaluating the effectiveness of a gratitude-based intervention. Participants were 213 individuals aged 17–43 years (M = 27), including 139 males (65.3%), of whom 53.1% identified as men who have sex with men (MSM) and 20.7% as bisexual. Recruitment utilized purposive and snowball sampling to ensure diversity. Data were collected via self-administered questionnaires (both physical and online), incorporating standardized measures such as the Internalized Homophobia Scale, Heterosexist Discrimination Scale, Stigma Consciousness Questionnaire, and the DASS-21. The gratitude intervention, delivered over four weeks, included daily journaling and structured reflection aimed at fostering resilience. Pre- and post-assessments were analyzed using SPSS 26, with Pearson’s correlation assessing relationships between minority stressors and mental health outcomes, and repeated measures ANOVA evaluating intervention efficacy. Findings revealed significant associations between minority stressors and adverse mental health. Internalized homophobia strongly correlated with depression and anxiety, heterosexist discrimination was linked to anxiety, and stigma consciousness to general distress. The gratitude-based intervention produced substantial reductions in symptoms: depression scores declined from M = 9.04 (SD = 3.90) to M = 0.46 (SD = 0.57), with anxiety and stress also significantly reduced (p < .001). These results underscore the detrimental effects of minority stressors and highlight gratitude practices as promising tools for enhancing psychological well-being among sexual minorities, warranting further exploration of their long-term benefits.