Social and Environmental Factors that Influence Functioning in College Students

The purpose of this study is to examine the social and environmental factors that contribute to the high functioning of LGBTQA+ college students, as well as examine what contributes to their low functioning, and if certain members of the community are more prone to having lower functioning due to these factors. The reason for this study is to examine these factors about members of the LGBTQA+ community that aren’t usually examined in research regarding sexuality. Participants were recruited using the SONA system in the Psychology Department of Northeastern Illinois University. The research study will consist of surveys administered online through Qualtrics. Participants will be asked to complete a series of questionnaires assessing stress, coping skills, academic performance, depression, anxiety, and sexual identity along with demographic questions. The goal of this study is to examine how LGBTQA+ college students are affected by everyday factors related to school and relationships, and if the LGBTQA+ students in the middle of the spectrum are more prone to negative effects. The hypotheses for this study will examine whether students in the middle of the LGBTQA+ spectrum are more prone to lower functioning, whether mental health and sexuality influences quality of relationships, academic achievement, and functioning in general. In addition, we will examine the relationship between internalized homophobia, outness and discrimination on level of functioning. There haven’t been many studies done on this topic in particular, and therefore this research might fill in gaps to answering the questions of the mental health of certain LGBTQA+ members