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Introduction <p>The psychological mediation framework posits that minority stressors exert their deleterious effects on mental health outcomes through proximal cognitive–affective processes. While distal minority stress has been demonstrated to be an important factor associated with internalized homophobia, the specific cognitive–affective mechanisms underlying this relationship remain underexplored. The present study investigated the potential mechanism by which psychological inflexibility and self-compassion act as parallel mediators in the association between distal minority stress and internalized homophobia.</p> Methods <p>The study conducted online surveys in February 2023 among 1,413 Chinese SGM, who completed questionnaires on distal minority stress, internalized homophobia, psychological inflexibility, and self-compassion.</p> Results <p>The findings showed significant associations between distal minority stress, internalized homophobia, psychological inflexibility, and self-compassion. After controlling for age, gender identity, education, and sexual orientation, Bayesian parallel mediation analysis revealed that distal minority stress had a reliable direct effect on internalized homophobia. Self-compassion exerted a reliable unique indirect effect, whereas no reliable unique indirect effect was observed for psychological inflexibility.</p> Conclusions <p>Distal minority stress influences internalized homophobia among Chinese SGM directly and indirectly, with self-compassion emerging as the more robust mediator within this parallel model, while psychological inflexibility showed no reliable unique indirect effect.</p> Policy Implications <p>These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of how distal minority stress is transformed into internalized homophobia among Chinese SGMs. Preventive interventions should be developed not only focusing on improving the broader social environment to reduce distal minority stress, but also prioritizing fostering self-compassion within mental health services.</p>

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Distal Minority Stress and Internalized Homophobia Among Chinese Sexual and Gender Minorities: The Serial Mediation of Psychological Inflexibility and Self-Compassion

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月8日

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  • Rui Li,
  • Sinan Wu,
  • Siyao Jia,
  • Wenfei Xiong,
  • Jinghan Hu,
  • Zhihong Ren

摘要

Introduction

The psychological mediation framework posits that minority stressors exert their deleterious effects on mental health outcomes through proximal cognitive–affective processes. While distal minority stress has been demonstrated to be an important factor associated with internalized homophobia, the specific cognitive–affective mechanisms underlying this relationship remain underexplored. The present study investigated the potential mechanism by which psychological inflexibility and self-compassion act as parallel mediators in the association between distal minority stress and internalized homophobia.

Methods

The study conducted online surveys in February 2023 among 1,413 Chinese SGM, who completed questionnaires on distal minority stress, internalized homophobia, psychological inflexibility, and self-compassion.

Results

The findings showed significant associations between distal minority stress, internalized homophobia, psychological inflexibility, and self-compassion. After controlling for age, gender identity, education, and sexual orientation, Bayesian parallel mediation analysis revealed that distal minority stress had a reliable direct effect on internalized homophobia. Self-compassion exerted a reliable unique indirect effect, whereas no reliable unique indirect effect was observed for psychological inflexibility.

Conclusions

Distal minority stress influences internalized homophobia among Chinese SGM directly and indirectly, with self-compassion emerging as the more robust mediator within this parallel model, while psychological inflexibility showed no reliable unique indirect effect.

Policy Implications

These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of how distal minority stress is transformed into internalized homophobia among Chinese SGMs. Preventive interventions should be developed not only focusing on improving the broader social environment to reduce distal minority stress, but also prioritizing fostering self-compassion within mental health services.