Momentary Effects Upon Recall of Perceived Discrimination and Affirmation in LGBQ People: Moderating Roles of Heterosexism During Childhood and Interoceptive Awareness

This study investigated how heterosexism during childhood (a vulnerability factor) and interoceptive awareness (a resilience factor) shape the momentary effects of perceived everyday discrimination and affirmation on wellness among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ) individuals in Hong Kong. A sample of 141 LGBQ adults completed baseline measures of sexual and gender minority adverse childhood experiences and interoceptive awareness, followed by a lab visit involving a repeated-measures design with three writing conditions: recalled affirmation, recalled discrimination, and a neutral story completion. Heart rate variability (HRV) was recorded. At the same time, participants engaged in the writing tasks, and self-reported wellness indicators (LGBQ collective self-esteem, rumination, affect, and somatic distress) were assessed after each condition. Multilevel analysis revealed that both exposure to heterosexism during childhood and interoceptive awareness uniquely predicted all self-reported outcomes in expected directions. Furthermore, distinct moderation patterns emerged. The beneficial effects of perceived affirmation on LGBQ collective self-esteem, rumination, and negative affect were smaller among individuals with greater early exposure to heterosexism, while the adversarial effects of perceived discrimination on somatic distress and a frequency-domain HRV indicator were larger. Increased negative affect following perceived discrimination was attenuated more among people with higher interoceptive awareness, while decreased positive affect was unexpectedly more pronounced. These findings underscore the importance of addressing early exposure to heterosexism and fostering interoceptive awareness to promote LGBQ health.