Identity Management Processes, Contextual Supports and Barriers, and Substance Use Among Sexual Minority Workers: A Social Cognitive Lens

Sexual minority people report substance use at higher rates than their heterosexual peers. Workplace sexual identity management, defined as the process by which sexual minority persons disclose or conceal their identities at work, may exacerbate substance use under stressful conditions, such as when faced with incivility. However, there is a paucity of research on the relation of the work environment to sexual minority workers' substance use. The present study used the social cognitive career self-management model as a conceptual framework to examine two aspects of the work environment (positive climate and harassment) in relation to the sexual identity management process and substance use of sexual minority workers. Because plurisexual employees (e.g., bisexual or pansexual) often face additional workplace stressors relative to their monosexual sexual minority peers, we also examined the links between plurisexual identity and each component of the self-management model. Participants were 418 full-time sexual minority workers residing in the United States. Results were largely consistent with the self-management model derived in terms of the prediction of sexual identity disclosure in the workplace. Workplace harassment moderated the relationship between identity disclosure and substance use, such that disclosure was linked more strongly to substance use in the context of more frequent harassment experiences. Plurisexuality was negatively related to disclosure self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and level of outness at work. Plurisexual workers also perceived their work climates as less identity-affirming. We consider implications for research and practice, including organizational interventions to minimize sexual minority workers' experience of workplace harassment.

Automated summary

Sexual minority individuals who have to manage their sexual identity at work may face higher rates of substance use, especially under stressful conditions such as workplace incivility. This study examined the relationship between the work environment, sexual identity management, and substance use among sexual minority workers. The findings suggest that workplace harassment moderates the relationship between identity disclosure and substance use, and plurisexual workers face unique challenges in the workplace.