LGBTQIAP+ IDENTITY INVALIDATION AND EMOTION REGULATION DIFFICULTIES: CONTRIBUTIONS OF COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL THERAPY

Abstract

This article aimed to analyze, based on the scientific literature, the relationships between the invalidation of LGBTQIAP+ identity, emotion regulation difficulties, and the contributions of Affirmative Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to the mental health of this population. This is a narrative bibliographic review, conducted in national and international databases, comprising theoretical articles, randomized controlled trials, and meta-analyses published between 1993 and 2026. The results indicate that the disparities in psychological distress observed in this population do not stem from any intrinsic dysfunction of sexual orientation or gender identity, but from chronic exposure to minority stress, which operates as an invalidating environment and compromises emotion regulation systems, especially through rumination and suppression. Affirmative protocols such as ESTEEM, EQuIP, and TA-CBT have demonstrated efficacy in reducing depression, anxiety, and substance use. It is concluded that Affirmative CBT, combined with intersectional awareness and a reading of the Brazilian sociopolitical context, constitutes a relevant therapeutic resource, provided that it avoids psychologizing suffering of structural origin.