Abstract
Sex is an important factor in mental health, and a non-binary view of how variation in sex and gender influence mental health represents a new research frontier that may yield new insights. The recent acceleration of research into sexual orientation, gender identity, and mental health has generally been conducted without sufficient understanding of the opinions of sexual and gender minorities (SGM) toward this research. We surveyed 768 individuals, with an enrichment of LGBTQ+ stakeholders, for their opinions regarding genetic research of SGM and mental health. We found that the key predictors of attitudes toward genetic research specifically on SGM are 1) general attitudes toward genetic and mental health research 2) tolerance of SGM and associated behaviors and 3) age of the participant. Non-heterosexual stakeholder status was significantly associated with increased willingness to participate in genetic research if a biological basis for gender identity were discovered. We also found that heterosexual, cisgender participants with a low tolerance for SGM indicated their SGM views would be positively updated if science showed a biological basis for their behaviors and identities. These findings represent an important first step in understanding and engaging the LGBTQ+ stakeholder community in the context of genetic research.
Highlights
Biological sex interacts with other risk factors in ways that are often strongly predictive of health outcomes
The sample shows a significant enrichment of the LGBTQ+ community: 11% (N = 85) vs. 0.5% nationally (P < 0.001, χ2 = 1653.2) reporting non-cisgender identity and 35% (N = 270) vs. 4.1% nationally (P < 0.001, χ2 = 1812.9) reporting non-heterosexual orientation
We found that attitudes toward genetic research on Sexual and gender minorities (SGM) are most strongly predicted by broader attitudes toward mental health and genetic research in general (Fig 1)
Summary
Biological sex (see Table 1 for definitions) interacts with other risk factors in ways that are often strongly predictive of health outcomes. From immune response [1] to heart disease [2] and depression [3], sex is a key variable that contextualizes risk factors [4] and can yield biological insights into disease mechanisms. What is less understood is whether a continuous (rather than binary) view of sex and gender can deliver additional explanatory power in studies of human health and disease. Involving sexual and gender minorities (SGM, or more commonly referred to as the LGBTQ+ community—lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer) can provide an important view of gender and sexuality that is not restricted to a strictly binary. Genetic research on gender and sexual identity
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