Internalized Homonegativity and the Double Bind for Lesbians: Those with Higher Need Perceive More Barriers to Mental Health Treatment

This research uses internalized homonegativity (IH) to understand factors influencing mental health treatment need and treatment seeking in self-identified lesbians (N = 223). Results indicated that IH has significant negative associations with social support, psychological, and social well-being. At the same time, IH has significant positive connections to perceived treatment barriers specifically related to sexual orientation. The authors assert that this can result in a "double bind" for lesbians with high IH, where they perceive treatment need, yet experience their lesbianism as a barrier to accessing help. Implications for counselors, as well as study limitations and suggestions for future research, are presented.