Psychoticism and immature defense mechanisms associated with homophobia

A new study has identified the psychological traits associated with homophobia.

In the study, researchers investigated the potential of certain psychological traits for predisposing heterosexuals to have negative attitudes towards homosexual people.

They found that psychoticism, which is present in severe psychopathological conditions but may also contribute to less severe states of hostility and anger, and immature defense mechanisms may be important risk factors for homophobia, whereas, depression and neurotic defense mechanisms appear to lower the risk of being homophobic.

Lead author Emmanuele A. Jannini, president of the Italian Society of Andrology and Sexual Medicine, said that they demonstrated that the real disease to be cured is homophobia, associated with potentially severe psychopathologies.

The study is published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine.