The Cognitive-Behavioral Impact of the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey: A Reflexive Thematic Analysis.

Casey, LJ; Bowman, SJ; Power, E; McAloon, J; Wootton, BM

The Cognitive-Behavioral Impact of the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey: A Reflexive Thematic Analysis.

Casey, LJ Bowman, SJ Power, E

McAloon, J Wootton, BM

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 2021
Issue Date:: 2021-05-24

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Casey, LJ
dc.contributor.author	Bowman, SJ
dc.contributor.author	Power, E https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2638-0406
dc.contributor.author	McAloon, J
dc.contributor.author	Wootton, BM
dc.date.accessioned	2022-01-27T02:16:41Z
dc.date.available	2021-05-24
dc.date.available	2022-01-27T02:16:41Z
dc.date.issued	2021-05-24
dc.identifier.citation	Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 2021
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/153622
dc.description.abstract	Marriage equality legislation was introduced in Australia in 2017 following a national survey of enrolled voters conducted via the postal system (“the postal survey”). Consistent with other major anti-LGBTQ rights campaigns, research has demonstrated that this event posed a unique source of social stress for LGBTQ people. This study seeks to expand the clinical utility of previous research by employing a cognitive-behavioral lens to explore the life stressors reported by LGBTQ Australians during the postal survey. During the postal survey period, a sample of 2,200 LGBTQ Australians answered the open-ended question, “Do you think the public discussion about marriage equality and the marriage equality postal survey has affected you and/or your family? If so, how?” Seven hundred of these responses were randomly selected and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Cognitive themes were hyperawareness of stigma, social and political exclusion, changes in self-perception, and fear of harm. Affective themes were anger, anxiety, and sadness. Behavioral themes were avoidance, changing social relationships, hiding identity, and preoccupation. The physiological theme was exhaustion. The results have implications for the assessment and treatment of LGBTQ people experiencing distress in the face of future anti-LGBTQ rights campaigns.
dc.language	en
dc.relation.ispartof	Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject	1701 Psychology
dc.title	The Cognitive-Behavioral Impact of the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey: A Reflexive Thematic Analysis.
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.for	1701 Psychology
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health/Graduate School of Health
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health/Graduate School of Health/GSH.Clinical Psychology
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health/Graduate School of Health/GSH.Speech Pathology
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
pubs.consider-herdc	false
dc.date.updated	2022-01-27T02:16:39Z
pubs.publication-status	Accepted

Abstract:

Marriage equality legislation was introduced in Australia in 2017 following a national survey of enrolled voters conducted via the postal system (“the postal survey”). Consistent with other major anti-LGBTQ rights campaigns, research has demonstrated that this event posed a unique source of social stress for LGBTQ people. This study seeks to expand the clinical utility of previous research by employing a cognitive-behavioral lens to explore the life stressors reported by LGBTQ Australians during the postal survey. During the postal survey period, a sample of 2,200 LGBTQ Australians answered the open-ended question, “Do you think the public discussion about marriage equality and the marriage equality postal survey has affected you and/or your family? If so, how?” Seven hundred of these responses were randomly selected and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Cognitive themes were hyperawareness of stigma, social and political exclusion, changes in self-perception, and fear of harm. Affective themes were anger, anxiety, and sadness. Behavioral themes were avoidance, changing social relationships, hiding identity, and preoccupation. The physiological theme was exhaustion. The results have implications for the assessment and treatment of LGBTQ people experiencing distress in the face of future anti-LGBTQ rights campaigns.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/153622