The association between the hostile-world scenario, perceived control, and emotional distress among gay men and lesbians

We examined the moderating role perceived control plays in the relationship between hostile-world scenarios unique to gay men and lesbians and emotional distress. A convenience sample of Israeli gay (n = 56) and lesbian (n = 42) participants who were recruited online through snowball sampling completed questionnaires examining emotional distress, perceived control, and hostile-world themes unique to the gay and lesbian communities. The hostile-world scenario was significantly and positively associated with emotional distress. Additionally, only among lesbians, perceived control moderated the relationship between the hostile-world scenario and emotional distress. Perceived control may provide a protective factor against the effect of hostile-world scenarios on emotional distress among lesbians.