Psychology

Work conditions and mental health in lesbian and gay dual-earner parents

Document Type

Article

Abstract

This is the first study to examine the relationship between work conditions and mental health in dual-earner lesbian/gay parents (N = 86). How time- and strain-based demands (work hours, job urgency) and supportive resources (supervisor support, lesbian, gay, bisexual [LGB]-friendly workplace climate) are examined, as well as outness at work and internalized homophobia, and how they relate to depressive and anxious symptoms. Supervisor support was negatively related to mental health problems, such that parents with greater support reported fewer depressive/anxious symptoms. The relationship between urgency and mental health depended on climate: working a high-urgency job was associated with more depressive symptoms for parents in very LGB-unfriendly workplaces, and with fewer anxious symptoms for parents in very LGB-friendly workplaces. The relationship between outness and mental health depended on internalized homophobia: being very out at work was associated with higher depressive/anxious symptoms for parents reporting high internalized homophobia. Gay men reported higher levels of symptoms than lesbians. © 2013 by the National Council on Family Relations.

Publication Title

Family Relations

Publication Date

2013

Volume

62

Issue

5

First Page

727

Last Page

740

ISSN

0197-6664

DOI

10.1111/fare.12042

Keywords

gay, internalized homophobia, lesbian, mental health, outness, work conditions

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