With few exceptions (e.g., Matthews et al., 2002), studies that have examined group differences in social support tend to reveal that sexual minorities have less social support than do heterosexuals, including less family connectedness and adult caring (Eisenberg & Resnick, 2006) and lower satisfaction with social support networks (Plöderl & Fartacek, 2005; Safren & Heimberg, 1999). Controlling for social support (along with other general psychological processes) attenuated the association between sexual orientation and psychological distress, including depressive symptoms (Safren & Heimberg, 1999) and suicidality (Eisenberg & Resnick, 2006; Plöderl & Fartacek, 2005). These studies did not assess specific stigma-related stressors in relation to social isolation; however, support for the psychological mediation framework comes from several investigations. For example, in a sample of over 900 Latino gay men, discrimination was associated with greater social isolation, which in turn led to greater psychological distress, including both depressive and anxiety symptoms (Diaz, Ayala, Bein, Henne, & Marin, 2001). Another within-group study of sexual minority adolescents found that family support mediated the association between victimization experiences and psychological distress (Hershberger & D’Augelli, 1995).
