Resumen

ORELLANA CALDERON, Ligia et al. Predictors of life satisfaction: Comparisons between university students from sexual minorities in Chile. Interdisciplinaria [online]. 2023, vol.40, n.1, pp.209-225.  Epub 30-Nov-2022. ISSN 1668-7027.  http://dx.doi.org/10.16888/interd.2023.40.1.13.

In recent years, there has been a growing shift in research on sexual orientation. This focus has moved from centering on negative experiences, related to psychopathology and stigmatization, to examining subjective well-being factors in individuals belonging to these populations. In Latin American countries such as Chile, a scarcely explored link in this regard is satisfaction with life –the cognitive component of subjective well-being– and associated variables. The minority stress model indicates that individuals who belong to minority groups are exposed to additional stressors to which the general population is not exposed. These specific stressors are related to the marginalization, prejudice and exclusion suffered by the minority group of belonging. Researchers have shown that these stressors and their consequences may result in lower life satisfaction in non-heterosexual people compared to their heterosexual peers. Furthermore, different non-heterosexual orientations face specific forms of prejudice and, therefore, could experience a different impact on their life satisfaction. In this paper, the distinction is made between individuals with a monosexual orientation (towards one gender) and those with a plurisexual orientation, (towards more than one gender or independently of gender); namely, lesbians and gay men (LG) on the one hand, and bisexuals and pansexuals (BP) on the other. Research indicates that BP people experience lower levels of well-being than LG individuals. Compared to the latter, BP individuals tend to disclose their sexual orientation to a lesser extent, perceive less social support, and experience greater exclusion from community spaces destined to the general community of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and other queer identities (LGBTIQ+). Moreover, these differences between non-heterosexual orientations in terms of life satisfaction have been little explored in Latin American university students. To fill this gap in the literature, the general objective of this study was to compare the levels of disclosure of sexual orientation, perceived social support, connectedness with the LGBTIQ+ community, and life satisfaction among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and pansexual university students. Four hypotheses were proposed that addressed the comparisons between LG and BP participants for these variables. A non-probability sample of 82 LGBP university students was recruited to answer an online questionnaire. Of the sample, 32.9 % were lesbian or gay, and 67.1 % were bisexual or pansexual. Most participants were women (67.1 %), compared to 29.3 % men and 3.7 % of another gender. The questionnaire consisted of a section of sociodemographic data, a sexual orientation disclosure scale, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the LGBTIQ + Community Connectedness Scale, and the Life Satisfaction Scale. Analyses included comparisons of means between groups. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted for the Connectedness Scale to test its validity. Results showed that LG and BP students reported similar levels of perceived social support, community connectedness, and life satisfaction, while LG students tended to disclose their sexual orientation to more people than BP students. A positive association was also found between perceived social support and life satisfaction, and between connectedness and disclosure of sexual orientation. The CFA showed that the Connectedness Scale is valid for its use in university samples in Chile and other Latin American populations. Limitations regarding sample size and recommendations for future research are discussed. This study contributes to the knowledge about variables associated with life satisfaction in non-heterosexual university students, highlighting the differential needs for support of those with a monosexual orientation (lesbians and gays) and those with a plurisexual orientation (bisexual and pansexual).

Palabras clave : life satisfaction; social support; sexual orientation; minority stress; university students.

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