Research on mental health disparities in LGB populations has burgeoned in the last decade. After a series of large-scale epidemiological studies documented elevated rates of psychopathology among sexual minorities, researchers focused attention on identifying determinants of this risk. This line of research has revealed both group-specific and general predictors of psychopathology in LGB samples: (a) stress exposure associated with stigma (e.g., discrimination, victimization/abuse) and (b) general psychological processes, including coping/emotion regulation, social/interpersonal, and cognitive factors. Drawing on these important insights, I proposed a psychological mediation framework that integrates these established risk factors to elucidate the mediating pathways from stigma-related stress to psychopathology.
