Keywords

SGM; Legislation; Identity Distress; Minority Stress Model

Abstract

This thesis intended to explore if and how recent restrictive Florida legislation has impacted the mental health of sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals. The laws focused on are HB 1557 and SB 1674, which restrict discussions of SGM individuals and bathroom options for transgender/nonbinary individuals. Prior studies suggest that restrictive legislation is associated with an increase in depression, concealment stress, and suicidality among SGM individuals (Dhanani & Totton, 2023; Rao & Mason, 2018). However, there is a dearth of literature regarding how legislation impacts identity among SGM individuals. Students (N = 297) completed an anonymous survey battery for course credit. SGM individuals reported greater depression, identity distress, and more negative perceptions of the Florida legislation than non- SGM individuals. Among SGM individuals, negative perceptions of legislation predicted greater depressive symptoms and higher levels of identity distress. Additionally, concealment stress fully mediated the effects of negative perceptions of legislation on depression and identity distress. Further results and their implications are discussed.

Thesis Completion Year

2025

Thesis Completion Semester

Fall

Thesis Chair

Berman, Steven

College

College of Sciences

Department

Psychology

Thesis Discipline

Psychology

Language

English

Access Status

Open Access

Length of Campus Access

None

Campus Location

Orlando (Main) Campus

Download

Included in

Psychology Commons

Share

COinS