Minority stress and bereavement: The impact of social positioning on LGBTQ+ bereavement experiences

Felicity Johnson and Kristin Bindley

Social Science & Medicine, 2025, vol. 380, issue C

Abstract: This scoping review explores how the social positioning of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer (LGBTQ+) persons impacts their bereavement experiences. Drawing on the key concepts of minority stress and intersectionality, LGBTQ+ bereavement is examined through a social constructionist lens. Arksey and O'Malley's (2005) scoping review method is employed to map the existing research on LGBTQ+ bereavement published between 2003 and 2023, with specific interest in how this research discusses the impact of identity on bereavement. Findings are presented in four themes: (1) Systemic barriers, (2) Complexities of (not) disclosing identity, (3) Minimising of loss, and (4) LGBTQ+ community dis/connection. Employing reflexive thematic analysis to support critical interpretation, findings are explored through the lens of social constructionism, before critiquing the evident lack of intersectional approaches to research in current LGBTQ+ bereavement literature. Findings indicate several gaps in the LGBTQ+ bereavement literature, and the need for further research in this area to be conceptualised and guided by an intersectional approach.

Keywords: LGBTQ+; Bereavement; Minority stress; Intersectionality; Social constructionism (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.118186

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