1). This integrative framework argues that one risk factor is a consequence of the other, and that both contribute to the pathogenesis of mental disorders in LGB populations. Additionally, this theoretical approach takes into account the unique stressors that sexual minorities confront, while also emphasizing the common vulnerabilities in psychological and social processes that sexual minorities and heterosexuals share. Thus, the novelty of the framework is that it simultaneously addresses how general psychological processes become initiated and how stigma-related stress leads to psychopathology, thereby providing an important theoretical and practical advancement toward understanding—and eventually reducing—mental health disparities in LGB populations.
