(PS1-C62) Exploring the Relationship Between Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness and Quality of Life in Young Adult Sexual Minorities

Prior research has shown a higher rate of suicidal ideation and poorer mental health outcomes among people who identify as a sexual minority (SM, e.g., homosexual, bisexual, asexual, other) (Haas et al., 2011). There is significant research to suggest that sexual minorities experience greater levels of internalized stigma around their sexual orientations (Lee et. al 2022), and that sexuality stigma interacts with mental wellbeing and symptoms of mental illness such as emotional pain and suicidality (Carpiniello & Pinna 2017). Moreover, internalized stigma of mental illness has been shown to also affect mental health wellbeing and treatment outcomes (Wainberg et al., 2016). However, there is limited research on how the internalized stigma of mental illness impacts mental health well-being for individuals with a SM status. This research aims to explore the relationship between internalized stigma of mental illness, and quality of life (a measure for mental health well being) for SM groups. Participants included college students from the northeastern university in the United States (N=117). They completed series of questionnaires on their sexual minority status (SMS), internalized stigma of mental illness (ISMI), and quality of life (QOL). There were 47 SM participants and 124 Heterosexual (H) participants. An independent t-test found that SM participants (M=1.856) scored higher on the ISMI than compared to H participants (M=1.677; t(84) = 1.5785, p = 0.12). There was also a statistical mean difference on the QOL between SM participants (M=2.3074) and H participants (M=2.2379; t(153)= -1.136, p=0.228). Correlation analyses were conducted to explore the relationship between these variables within the specific groups. Results found a weak positive correlation between ISMI and SMS, which showed that there were higher scores of ISMI for those who identified as SM (r=0.1702, p=0.1). Moreover, there was a significant moderate correlation between ISMI and QOL for SM participants, suggesting that higher scores of ISMI was related to poorer QOL in this group (r=0.408, p</span>=0.017). Prior research has focused on understanding the stigma of being a SM and has not expanded to explore the intersectionality of being both a SM and having a mental illness. Our study aimed to explore the relationship between ISMI and QOL amongst SM groups to understand the impact of ISMI in this population. We found that there were group differences in QOL and ISMI between SM individuals and H individuals. There was also the strongest significant relationship between ISMI and QOL in the SM group, which highlights the importance of understanding the different types of stigma that this population experiences and how it affects their mental health wellbeing. This is essential for treatment providers who might be missing an important component of this group’s experience by not addressing their ISMI. Future research should utilize longitudinal studies to understand the impact that ISMI has on QOL for SM and moreover, how this impacts treatment. Our study was limited by the geographic location of the sample and its size, which might impact its generalizability. It does provide an initial preview into an important aspect of the experiences for SM that might be missing in the current literature.