The Role of LGBTQ+ Vicarious Trauma in Eating Disorder Risk—A Psychological Parallel Mediation Model

Minority stress appears to be consistently associated with a heightened risk of developing eating disorders. There is limited data investigating the role of witnessed heterosexist experiences (vicarious trauma), such as discrimination, harassment, or violence happening to other LGBTQ+ people. The present study aims to examine the association between vicarious trauma and eating disorder risk while surveying the mediating role of emotional dysregulation, self-esteem, and shame. An anonymous online survey was conducted involving 376 LGBTQ+ people from Italy. Participants completed self-report questionnaires regarding heterosexist experiences and factors associated with eating behavior. Descriptive, bivariate, and mediation analyses were conducted using the “PROCESS” macro. Statistically significant positive associations were found between all the main variables in bivariate analyses. Mediation analyses highlighted a direct effect of vicarious trauma on eating disorder risk and indirect effects of vicarious trauma on eating disorder risk through low self-esteem and emotion dysregulation. The indirect effect through shame was nonsignificant. Vicarious trauma appears to have a significant direct effect on eating disorder risk and small but significant indirect effects through emotional dysregulation and low self-esteem. Health promotion contexts would benefit from policies at the institutional, organizational, and social levels to prevent minority stress and reduce observed health disparities.