Standing Together: An Investigation of the Social Support Deterioration Deterrence Model 1 Year After the Club Q Shooting

Abstract

Both mass shootings and acts of bias-motivated violence have significant psychological consequences, as survivors commonly experience psychological distress in the form of depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) following the event. Moreover, increases in psychological distress are common near the year mark of a traumatic event. However, little is currently known about how communities affected by the intersection of bias-motivated violence and mass shootings are affected by these events in the longer term. The present study therefore investigated survivors’ psychological reactions around the 1-year mark of the Club Q shooting, which targeted members of the Colorado Springs lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer and questioning (LGBTQ+) community. Specifically, informed by the social support deterioration deterrence model, this study used path analysis to explore how exposure to the shooting, community solidarity, and receiving social support were associated with psychological distress among N = 64 LGBTQ+ individuals in Colorado Springs. Results indicated that higher community solidarity was associated with more severe psychological distress, a latent variable comprised of depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and PTSS, β = .39, p = .001, but no other predictors were statistically significant. These results suggest that community solidarity may increase vulnerability to psychological distress, perhaps because these individuals are more personally affected when their community is targeted and harmed. This study also highlights the need for ongoing community support and healing efforts around the 1-year mark of a bias-motivated mass shooting.