Bendición: Religion, Identity Integration & Well-Being among LGBTQ+ Latinx Individuals

Abstract

Religion is a source of spirituality and community for many in the United States. The relationship between LGBTQ+ people and religion/spirituality, however, is complex and multifaceted. This complexity is evident in the lives of LGBTQ+ Latinx adults, as religion holds cultural significance for this group but also presents unique challenges due to the historical non-affirmation of sexual and gender diversity in many Latinx religious spaces. This cross-sectional study investigated whether religious identity strength is associated with mental health among 331 LGBTQ+ Latinx adults (Mage = 30.40) and whether this association operates through insecure attachment to God (anxiety and avoidance) and identity integration. It also examined whether LGBTQ+ affirmation within religious environments (both during childhood and in adulthood) moderates these pathways. Results demonstrated no overall direct relationship between religious identity strength and mental health. Childhood LGBTQ+ affirmation (but not current affirmation) influenced the impact of religious identity strength on mental health, such that religious identity strength was positively related to mental health only at high levels of childhood affirmation. Stronger religious identity was linked to more anxious attachment to God, which, in turn, predicted lower mental health; this effect, however, was weaker when childhood affirmation was higher. Childhood affirmation was also directly associated with mental health. Current affirmation was linked to less anxious attachment, more avoidant attachment, and higher identity integration, but it did not directly affect mental health. Findings highlight the importance of considering multiple facets of religion in research on LGBTQ+ Latinx individuals and suggest that fostering affirming religious experiences may support mental health for this population.