“I’m Never Really My Full Self”: Young Bisexual Women's Perceptions of their Mental Health

Abstract

Young bisexual women report worse mental health outcomes in comparison to young heterosexual and lesbian women. Although these mental health disparities have been documented consistently in recent research, few researchers have investigated how young bisexual women understand their mental health and perceived factors that influence mental health disparities within their communities. Understanding more about how young bisexual women perceive their mental health can help direct the development of interventions aimed at addressing these health disparities. This article addresses a qualitative community-based research project where 35 young bisexual women discussed their perceptions of their mental health, challenges and supports to their mental health, and suggestions for change. Analysis of the data indicates that young bisexual women perceive monosexism and biphobia as significant challenges to their mental health at the institutional, community, interpersonal, and intrapersonal level.