Understanding the role of self-stigma in mental health in sexuality-diverse adolescents

Sexuality-diverse adolescents are at higher risk of mental health concerns and suicide compared to their peers, and this disparity may be partially explained by their experience of self-stigma, occurring when stigmatising beliefs are internalised and self-directed in a manner that is painful and distressing. This thesis explored self-stigma as it relates to mental health in sexuality-diverse adolescents and developed a novel scale to measure self-stigma in this population. Self-stigma was associated with heightened distress, diminished self-esteem, and greater likelihood of suicidal thoughts and behaviour. These findings will help inform clinical and social intervention strategies to improve wellbeing in sexuality-diverse adolescents.