Emotion Regulation Differences Between Gender and Sexuality Groups: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Gender and sexual minority (GSM) people are at increased risk of mental health difficulties compared to their cisgender-heterosexual peers. This is likely because of exposure to minority stressors. Emotion regulation difficulties have been proposed as an important mechanism for mental health disparities in GSM populations. This systematic review and meta-analysis examined whether GSM groups differ from cisgender and heterosexual groups in global and specific aspects of emotion regulation (e.g., emotion awareness, strategies, impulse control, cognitive appraisal, and emotion suppression), and whether emotion dysregulation mediated the relationship between GSM identity and mental health outcomes. We identified 40 eligible studies, of which 28 provided sufficient data for inclusion in the meta-analysis. Results indicated that GSM groups reported higher global emotion regulation difficulties and higher difficulties across most specific domains, compared to cisgender and heterosexual groups. Plurisexual groups (e.g., bisexual+) had higher emotion regulation difficulties compared to monosexual minority groups (e.g., gay/lesbian). A small number of studies also suggested that emotion regulation mediated the relationship between GSM identity and self-harm, suicidality, and eating disorder symptoms. These findings suggest that emotion regulation is a relevant psychological mechanism contributing to mental health disparities in GSM populations. Emotion dysregulation may therefore represent a useful intervention target for reducing health inequalities, alongside broader efforts to address structural and interpersonal minority stress.