University of Twente Student Theses
Improving Mental Health of Sexual and Gender Minority Young Adults: How (Character) Strengths are Experienced by Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Individuals Aged 18 to 27 living in The Netherlands.
Bie, M.J. van der (2023) Improving Mental Health of Sexual and Gender Minority Young Adults: How (Character) Strengths are Experienced by Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Individuals Aged 18 to 27 living in The Netherlands.
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| Abstract: | Research into Sexual and Gender Minorities (SGMs) often focuses on depression, anxiety, and stigmatisation. However, limited research focuses on positive mental well-being. This is better known as positive psychology, which aims to study strengths, instead of poor mental health. This study aims to find how (character) strengths are experienced by Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual (LGB) young adults aged 18 to 27, using Generative Participatory Design throughout the process. The study consisted of two workshops among eight participants. The first workshop focused on general well-being, including activities like describing how an object or photo makes participants feel well, and group discussions. The second workshop was focused on (character) strengths, generating individual mind maps and group discussions. The findings suggest that LGB young adults feel strong as individuals both despite and because of sexuality, experience a broad range of strengths (feeling proud, creative, and open-minded), and feeling positive towards oneself. In addition, the LGBTQIA+ community is seen as a specific strength, which can serve as a safety net for poor mental health. Even more so, participants explicitly highlight their uniqueness and how they do not see themselves as victims. The LGBTQIA+ community might act as a positive institution, specifically fostering personal growth, which is a recommended topic for future research. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Bachelor) |
| Faculty: | BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences |
| Subject: | 77 psychology |
| Programme: | Psychology BSc (56604) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/95662 |
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