Effect of perceived discrimination on depressive symptomatology: The role of avoidant coping in an LGBTQ+ community in Peru

Dionicio-Pinto F.Y.; Peralta-Eugenio G.V. · Poblacion y Salud en Mesoamerica (2025) · DOI: 10.15517/t4gwtr53

Resumen

Introduction: The study examines the mediating role of avoidant coping between perceived discrimination and depressive symptomatology in 159 members of an LGBTQ+ community in a Peruvian city, aged between 18 and 52 years (M=28.24; SD=7.85). Participants completed the Perceived Discrimination Scale in the LGBTQ+ Community by González-Rivera and Pabellón-Lebrón (2018), the State-Trait Depression Inventory (IDER) by Spielberger (2008), and the avoidant coping dimension from Carver et al. (1989). The results suggest that the tested mediation models are acceptable (CFI=1.00; SRMR<.060). Individual discrimination has a positive effect on state depression (β=.14, p<.05) and trait depression (β=.15, p<.05); similarly, group discrimination has a positive effect on state depression (β=.24, p<.05) and trait depression (β=.20, p<.05). Avoidant coping mediates the relationship between both forms of discrimination and state and trait depression (β>.15, p<.05), confirming the mediation hypotheses. The study confirms that avoidant coping plays a significant mediating role in the relationship between perceived discrimination and depressive symptomatology among members of an LGBTQ+ community in Peru. These findings highlight the importance of addressing coping strategies to mitigate the negative impact of discrimination on the mental health of this population. Copyright (c) 2025 Dionicio-Pinto & Peralta-Eugenio. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/

Instituciones: Universidad César Vallejo