LGBTQ+ Youth Identity Disclosure Processes: A Systematic Review

LGBTQ+ Youth Identity Disclosure Processes: A Systematic Review | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Systematic Review LGBTQ+ Youth Identity Disclosure Processes: A Systematic Review Mohammad Mousavi, Norman Chong, Valerie A. Earnshaw, Eric K. Layland This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3892519/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Objective: Disclosure is a complex social process that can have a profound impact on LGBTQ+ youth wellbeing. Disclosure involves decision-making, interpersonal events, mediating processes, and psychosocial outcomes, but there is no review that considers disclosure as a developmental, multi-component process across contexts for LGBTQ+ youth. Guided by the disclosure process model, LGBTQ+ youth disclosure literature was systematically reviewed and synthesized. Methods: After screening 5,433 articles, 29 studies were identified that investigated identity-disclosure processes among LGBTQ+ youth (aged 26 or younger). Included articles were reviewed for disclosure process components, individual and contextual factors that shape disclosure, and bias. Results: Studies examining the disclosure decision making process focused more on avoidance goals (e.g., fear of rejection, LGBTQ+ stigma) than approach goals (e.g., find belonging, authenticity) for disclosure. Reactions to disclosures were most often mixed, with initial reactions characterized as negative and then becoming more positive over time. Mental health is the most studied outcome of disclosure. Additionally, disclosure processes appear to be shaped by disclosure recipients, social context, and cultural beliefs. Conclusions: Research on LGBTQ+ youth disclosure is accelerating and increasingly examines disclosure goals and disclosure outcomes. LGBTQ+ youth identity disclosure is a complex, developmental process that extends over time and across multiple contexts. Future research should include study of disclosure content, longitudinal change, and dyadic processes. Psychology Disclosure LGBTQ+ Gender Minority Disclosure Processes Model Sexual Minority Youth Full Text Additional Declarations The authors declare no competing interests. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-3892519","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Systematic Review","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":268917747,"identity":"4755869b-30e3-454f-86b6-faec8f40ddd1","order_by":0,"name":"Mohammad Mousavi","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAvUlEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBADHn4GBgOGBwwMjA1Ea5FsAGpJIEULg8EBYrXoTjt8TPJHzWEZ4xvJGx8kMNjIbjhAQIvZ7bQ0aZ5jh3nMbqQVGyQwpBkToSXHTJqBLQ2oJcdMIoHhcCJRWiR//EvjMZ6RY/4jgeE/cVokeNtseAwkcsyA3j9AjJa0ZGvePhseiTPPiiUSDJKNZxLWknzw5o9vEvb87ckbP3yosJPtI6QFDRiQpnwUjIJRMApGAQ4AABUqQaTaZIDyAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6209-5082","institution":"UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Mohammad","middleName":"","lastName":"Mousavi","suffix":""},{"id":268917748,"identity":"d2255778-6ae1-4459-92b5-e95278151308","order_by":1,"name":"Norman Chong","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Universiti Malaya","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Norman","middleName":"","lastName":"Chong","suffix":""},{"id":268917749,"identity":"5ed0f5d7-7113-424e-a4fa-ead407afb67f","order_by":2,"name":"Valerie A. 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Disclosure involves decision-making, interpersonal events, mediating processes, and psychosocial outcomes, but there is no review that considers disclosure as a developmental, multi-component process across contexts for LGBTQ+ youth. Guided by the disclosure process model, LGBTQ+ youth disclosure literature was systematically reviewed and synthesized.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMethods:\u003c/strong\u003e After screening 5,433 articles, 29 studies were identified that investigated identity-disclosure processes among LGBTQ+ youth (aged 26 or younger). Included articles were reviewed for disclosure process components, individual and contextual factors that shape disclosure, and bias.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eResults:\u003c/strong\u003e Studies examining the disclosure decision making process focused more on avoidance goals (e.g., fear of rejection, LGBTQ+ stigma) than approach goals (e.g., find belonging, authenticity) for disclosure. Reactions to disclosures were most often mixed, with initial reactions characterized as negative and then becoming more positive over time. Mental health is the most studied outcome of disclosure. Additionally, disclosure processes appear to be shaped by disclosure recipients, social context, and cultural beliefs.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConclusions:\u003c/strong\u003e Research on LGBTQ+ youth disclosure is accelerating and increasingly examines disclosure goals and disclosure outcomes. LGBTQ+ youth identity disclosure is a complex, developmental process that extends over time and across multiple contexts. Future research should include study of disclosure content, longitudinal change, and dyadic processes.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"LGBTQ+ Youth Identity Disclosure Processes: A Systematic Review","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2024-01-25 05:07:17","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-3892519/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"1fedf316-54ac-484c-a157-477075ebb82e","owner":[],"postedDate":"January 25th, 2024","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[{"id":28332087,"name":"Psychology"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2024-01-25T05:07:17+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2024-01-25 05:07:17","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-3892519","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-3892519","identity":"rs-3892519","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"qtupq5eGEP_6zYnWcrvyt","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}