(PS6-54) The Protective Role of Social Support in Mitigating the Association Between Internalized Homonegativity and Alcohol Use among Sexual Minority Women: A Moderation Analysis

Introduction: Compared to heterosexual women, sexual minority women (SMW; e.g., bisexual, lesbian, pansexual, queer, asexual) are more likely to report higher rates of alcohol use, to endorse hazardous drinking (HD), and to meet criteria for alcohol use disorders (AUD). While emerging evidence indicates that internalized homonegativity (IHN), a proximal minority stressor, is associated with increased alcohol use among SMW, the differential roles of social support from family members, friends, and significant others on this association need further investigation.

Methods: In a secondary data analysis, we examined cross-sectional survey data from 238 SMW, which was collected from January to March 2020. The parent study collected self-reported measures of IHN, alcohol use, and multi-dimensional perceived social support – which was comprised of three subscales assessing support from family members, friends, and significant others. The sample had a mean age of 28.7 (SD=6.7) years, 82.4% identified as White or Caucasian, 7.1% identified as Black or African American, 13% identified as Hispanic or Latinx, 34% identified as bisexual, 42% identified as homosexual/lesbian, and 73.1% had a college degree or higher. Moderation analyses examined whether overall social support and three types of social support (family, friends, and significant others) moderated the relationship between IHN and alcohol use, controlling for age.

Results: Social support significantly moderated the association between IHN and alcohol use, where higher social support weakened the positive relationship between IHN and alcohol use (b=-0.28, p< 0.01). In this model, IHN was positively associated with alcohol use (b=2.37, p< 0.01), and social support was negatively associated with alcohol use (b=-0.12, p=0.01). In subsequent models, support from friends (b=-0.79, p< 0.01) and significant others (b=-0.61, p< 0.01) significantly moderated the relationship between IHN and alcohol use, such that increased support from friends and significant others weakened the relationship. In both models, IHN remained positively associated with alcohol use (friends: b=1.41; p< 0.01; significant others: b=2.40, p< 0.01), while support from friends (b=-0.47; p< 0.01) and significant others (b=-0.21, p=0.045) remained negatively associated with alcohol use. Family support did not significantly moderate the relationship between IHN and alcohol use, and only IHN was significantly associated with alcohol use (b=2.92, p< 0.01) in this model.

Conclusion: The findings suggest that social support—especially from friends and significant others—may play a protective role in attenuating the impact of IHN on alcohol use. Fostering supportive social networks may, therefore, be an important element of interventions to reduce alcohol-related risks among SMW. Further research should explore the mechanisms driving the effects of different types of social support, how they influence the association between IHN and alcohol use, and how they can be optimized to reduce the risk of alcohol use disorders among SMW. Integrating communication and related skills to increase social support in these interventions may be worthwhile.