173 The Psychological Impact of LDS Church Involvement Among LGBTQ+ Individuals

Faculty Mentor: Lisa Diamond (Psychology, University of Utah)

BACKGROUND

All LGBTQ+ individuals face unique challenges, however, there are additional challenges faced by those who were raised in the LDS faith. The LDS church practices and teaches some ideas that aren’t always inclusive of gender- and sexual-minorities. This research aims to find out more about the psychological impact of LDS church involvement among LGBTQ+ individuals. The team hopes to understand the diversity of LGBTQ+ individuals’ feelings and experiences about church involvement, as well as identify key factors that make individuals feel marginalized and stigmatized by their church experiences. This research is important because this community experiences various mental health disparities, and the team wants to be able to offer meaningful guidance to LGBTQ+ Mormons and their families about how to promote long-term thriving.

METHODS

Participants had to identify as LGBTQ+, have current/previous membership in the LDS church, and be at least 18 years old to participate. The team recruited individuals from a previous study on this population and through social media, University of Utah campus partners, and by word of mouth. Eligible participants were asked to complete an online questionnaire through Qualtrics about their church involvement, church experiences, and their overall well-being. In addition, the survey asked questions about being LGBTQ+ and Mormon at different stages of life, which has not been done in prior research. The survey was estimated to take about 45 minutes to complete. Participants were free to decline to answer any specific questions or to stop the questionnaire at any time. Furthermore, participants were compensated for their time with a $40 Amazon gift card.

RESULTS

After careful analysis and filtering out bot responses, there were a total of 625 participants that completed the questionnaire. There are a few overall statistics to be highlighted: 30.9% of participants identified as gender-diverse, 64.2% say they have experienced feelings of chronic unsafety, 28.8% have left or been excommunicated, and 70.2% have had some form of therapy.

CONCLUSIONS

The experiences of unsafety and marginalization that accompany LDS church involvement are often psychologically harmful to LGBTQ+ individuals. The findings of the research will be used to identify predictors of well-being and resilience over time among LGBTQ+ Mormons, so that evidence-based guidance about the most effective strategies for handling the unique concerns and challenges of this population can be offered. Findings will also be published in scientific journals and implemented in local trainings, workshops, and public meetings in Salt Lake City. The team hopes to hold live events where participants can ask questions about specific analyses and statistics. A limitation of the study is that there is often a lot of shame associated with leaving the church. Therefore, some participants might not be completely honest with their answers. Future research will follow these participants longitudinally to see how church involvement and well-being changes over time, as well as seek to understand the perspectives of the individuals who are support providers for LGBTQ+ individuals raised in the church.