A growing body of research shows that group memberships and the identities derived from them have a profound impact on our health. To the extent that when group memberships provide meaning, support, and agency, health is positively impacted, therefore constituting a “social cure”. However, when group memberships are not associated with positive psychological resources, due to stigma or lack of social support, social identities may become a “curse” and may threaten our well-being. Therefore, the relationship between identity and health seems to be influenced by the type of group to which one belongs and the context in which these identities are at play. Nonetheless, stigmatized and minority groups have been heavily understudied and misunderstood within the “social cure” literature. Due to this, the present study was developed to explore how a group such as sexual minorities across different cultural contexts may unlock the benefits of the “social cure” despite the adverse effects of stigma. To do so, this study explores the role of the social identity processes such as in-group identification and social support as possible mediators that may help protect the psychological health of sexual minorities from stigma. Finally, individualism/collectivism as cultural orientations were also taken into consideration as a possible moderator influencing these interactions. Data were collected from sexual minority individuals (N=382) across four different countries (Dominican Republic, Portugal, Ireland, and the United States) through an online questionnaire shared in various social media platforms. The study is currently ongoing; however, preliminary results of the analysis will be presented.

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social identity,sexual minorities,social cure,individualism,collectivism,perceived discrimination,social support