Social Support for LGBTQ People in South Central Appalachia
Abstract
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people experience stressors specific to their LGBTQ identity, described by a minority stress framework (Meyer, 2003). The region of the United States known as South Central Appalachia is known as a high stigma and low resource region for LGBTQ people. Factors protecting Appalachian LGBTQ people from the negative effects of stigma are therefore important to investigate, with one well known protection factor being social support. Previous studies have typically examined social support broadly, with few studies considering individual support sources. This neglects the possible differences between sources such as family, friends, partners, and pets (Abbey et al., 1985; Meehan et al., 2017). The current study investigated the potential influence of differing sources of social support (family, friend, partner, and pet) on the relationship between minority stress experiences and psychological distress in a sample of LGBTQ people living in South Central Appalachia. Participants were gathered through in person advertising at local Pride events, flyers placed in local businesses, and online Meta (e.g., Facebook and Instagram) advertisements. Participants completed a screener, and were subsequently invited via email if their responses indicated eligibility for the survey. Four moderated linear regression analyses were used to determine the influences of the four social support sources. Preliminary analyses reveal no significant interaction effects for any of the four support sources, findings unique compared to previous literature. Thus far, these results potentially depict a different role for social support for LGBTQ people in South Central Appalachia compared to LGBTQ people elsewhere in the United States, highlighting the high stigma and low resource features of the region. Final analyses are likely to remain consistent, and should lead to future considerations when addressing resources available to LGBTQ people in the region.
Start Time
16-4-2025 10:00 AM
End Time
16-4-2025 11:00 AM
Room Number
304
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Presentation Subtype
Grad/Comp Orals
Presentation Category
Social Sciences
Faculty Mentor
Stacey Williams
Social Support for LGBTQ People in South Central Appalachia
304
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people experience stressors specific to their LGBTQ identity, described by a minority stress framework (Meyer, 2003). The region of the United States known as South Central Appalachia is known as a high stigma and low resource region for LGBTQ people. Factors protecting Appalachian LGBTQ people from the negative effects of stigma are therefore important to investigate, with one well known protection factor being social support. Previous studies have typically examined social support broadly, with few studies considering individual support sources. This neglects the possible differences between sources such as family, friends, partners, and pets (Abbey et al., 1985; Meehan et al., 2017). The current study investigated the potential influence of differing sources of social support (family, friend, partner, and pet) on the relationship between minority stress experiences and psychological distress in a sample of LGBTQ people living in South Central Appalachia. Participants were gathered through in person advertising at local Pride events, flyers placed in local businesses, and online Meta (e.g., Facebook and Instagram) advertisements. Participants completed a screener, and were subsequently invited via email if their responses indicated eligibility for the survey. Four moderated linear regression analyses were used to determine the influences of the four social support sources. Preliminary analyses reveal no significant interaction effects for any of the four support sources, findings unique compared to previous literature. Thus far, these results potentially depict a different role for social support for LGBTQ people in South Central Appalachia compared to LGBTQ people elsewhere in the United States, highlighting the high stigma and low resource features of the region. Final analyses are likely to remain consistent, and should lead to future considerations when addressing resources available to LGBTQ people in the region.