The Effect of Perceived Social Support on the Mental Health of Homosexuals: The Mediating Role of Self-Efficacy.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to investigate the mental health of homosexual adults in China and to explore the effects of perceived social support and self-efficacy on mental health.

METHODS

Two hundred and nine homosexuals were recruited to participate in the online survey. The Perceived Social Support Scale, General Self-efficacy Scale, Self-rating Anxiety Scale and Self-rating Depression Scale were completed through a questionnaire website. Correlation analysis and mediation analysis were used to investigate the relationship between perceived social support, self-efficacy and mental health of homosexuals.

RESULTS

Description analysis showed the following: (1) In this study, 53.9% of the participants had depression symptoms and 46.7% had anxiety problems; (2) perceived social support, self-efficacy, anxiety and depression were significantly related to each other. The mediation effect analysis found that self-efficacy mediates between perceived social support and depression but does not mediate between perceived social support and anxiety.

CONCLUSIONS

The results demonstrated that in the context of Chinese collectivist culture, homosexuals have certain mental health problems, and their perceived social support and self-efficacy are critical protective factors for mental health. Our findings highlight the need to further strengthen social support and self-efficacy in mental health services for Chinese homosexuals.