The Role of Positive Social Institutions in Promoting Hope and Flourishing among Sexual and Gender Minorities: A Multi-Group Analysis
Open Access
- 18 November 2022
- Vol. 2 (4), 654-667
- https://doi.org/10.3390/youth2040046
Abstract
Social work practice is grounded in the symbiotic relationship between macrosystemic community work and direct practice with individuals; however, following a resurgence in emphasis on evidence-based clinical social work in higher education, research on community-building efforts within social work has waned. Among sexual and gender minority populations (SGM), research has indicated a vast array of negative outcomes associated with added stressors, such as stigma, discrimination, and marginalization impacting the population. As such, this study attempts to re-focus the attention of social work practice on the importance of building community, especially for SGM populations. Via a multi-group analysis, the relationship between community (positive social institutions), hope, and flourishing was explored in both the cisgender-heterosexual population and that of the sexual and gender minority population (n = 586) within the United States. Results indicate that there are differences with positive social institutions directly impacting flourishing and indirectly through hope, whereas among the cisgender-heterosexual population, positive social institutions impact flourishing indirectly through hope, and not directly. As such, it is imperative that social workers focus on building strong supportive communities for SGM populations in order to directly and indirectly impact their overall flourishing and wellbeing.This publication has 54 references indexed in Scilit:
- Cyberbullying, School Bullying, and Psychological Distress: A Regional Census of High School StudentsAmerican Journal of Public Health, 2012
- Minority stress and health: Implications for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) young peopleCounselling Psychology Quarterly, 2009
- A Model of Sexual Risk Behaviors Among Young Gay and Bisexual Men: Longitudinal Associations of Mental Health, Substance Abuse, Sexual Abuse, and the Coming-Out ProcessAIDS Education and Prevention, 2006
- Affirming Faith Experiences and Psychological Health for Caucasian Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Individuals.Journal of Counseling Psychology, 2005
- Questioning Gender and Sexuality BinariesJournal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services, 2004
- Building Community for Toronto's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual and Transgender YouthJournal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services, 2004
- Fit indices in covariance structure modeling: Sensitivity to underparameterized model misspecification.Psychological Methods, 1998
- Psychometric properties of the MSPSS in older adultsAging & Mental Health, 1998
- The will and the ways: Development and validation of an individual-differences measure of hope.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1991
- A theory of human needsCritical Social Policy, 1984