Political Perspectives and Religiosity Contribute to Homonegative Attitudes Among Sicilian Psychologists.

Abstract

Mental healthcare professionals' pathologizing views of LGBT+ people can compromise adherence to deontological principles and the very effectiveness of mental health interventions. This study aimed to explore homonegative attitudes of licensed psychologists in Sicily, Italy. The study replicated a survey previously administered in other Italian regions for data collection, to promote systematic comparability and future replication studies. Descriptive and exploratory data analyses were conducted. The sample (n = 727) corresponded to 8% of psychologists registered in the region in 2021. When exploring participants' assumptions on the origin of homosexuality, a lack of knowledge on the topic of sexual diversity and its normal variations emerged. Moreover, 27% of participants partially or completely agreed that a professional should help a patient/client change their sexual orientation, despite the ban on conversion practices established by the Italian Psychologists Association. Participants describing themselves as religious and right-wing politically affiliated held higher levels of homonegative attitudes, beliefs, and opinions. Homonegative attitudes emerging from politically conservative and religious groups should be further explored to ascertain whether underlying constructs, such as authoritarianism, are determining the observed trends. These findings also evidence the need for more thoughtful training experiences that can help psychologists deconstruct negative stereotypes on sexual identities.