Psychological Effects of Coming Out on LGB Individuals in Japan: Quantitative and Qualitative Results

• In Event: 3-039 - The Adjustment of Young East Asian Sexual-Minority Individuals: A Focus on Family and Culture

Integrative Statement

Theoretical model of homosexual identity development recognizes coming out process as important for understanding of homosexual identity formation (Dank, 1971; Troiden, 1979; McDonald, 1982). Previous empirical studies about lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals suggest that they are more likely to develop depression and panic attack compared with heterosexual counterparts (Cochran et al., 2003; Kuang & Kojima, 2005). However, the relation between coming out and mental health in LGB individuals is not much studied, particularly in Japan. Therefore, we examined the effect of coming out on the mental state of LGB individuals.

The participants of Study 1 were 117 Japanese LGB individuals and 104 heterosexuals. Their average age was 25.7 years old and ranged from 16 to 54 years old for LGB and 25.2 years old ranging from 18 to 52 years old for the heterosexual group. Participants answered a questionnaire measuring several aspects of their mental state.

The LGB group was divided into the coming out group (CO; n = 87) and not coming out group (NCO; n = 30), and compared with the heterosexual group (HETERO; n = 104). The results indicated that NCO scored significantly lower than HETERO on the Self-esteem Scale and the Original Self Scale. On the Subjective Happiness Scale, NCO scored significantly lower than did both CO and HETERO. On the General Health Questionnaire, however, both CO and NCO scored higher than HETERO, which indicates HETERO is mentally healthier than LGB.

We also examined whether the nature of their relationship to the person to whom they come out made any difference on their mental state. The result indicated that the LGB who have come out to family members scored significantly higher than those who have not on the Self-esteem Scale and the Subjective Happiness Scale. On the Original Self Scale, those who have come out to family members scored significantly higher than did those who have come out to friends and colleagues.

The participants of Study 2 were five LGB people who had already participated in Study 1. Three of them were bisexual and were in their 20s and 30s. Two of them were gay and were in their 20s and 50s. We asked them about their own perception of changes in their life after coming out. We selected 33 sentences about their own changes after coming out and classified them into eight subcategories such as “confidence,” “feel safe,” “empathy,” “self-reflection,” “ease the tension,” “feel constrained,” “limited relationship,” “fear.” Among these eight subcategories, “confidence” and “feel safe” were most frequently mentioned followed by “ease the tension.” Thus, they were more confident and felt safer after coming out, and coming out eased the tension between the person they come out to and themselves. At the same time, they still felt constrained toward the person they have not come out to and fear about coming out to those persons.

From the results of quantitative and qualitative studies, we conclude that coming out in LGB people has some effects on their mental health. Limitations and implications of this study are discussed.

Authors

• Emiko Katsurada, Kwansei Gakuin University
  Presenting Author

• Eri Yoshioka, Kwansei Gakuin University
  Non-Presenting Author