Mental health and resilience among rural Australian lesbians and gay men

Abstract

We examine the mental health of lesbians and gay men in rural and regional Australia, including rural-urban comparisons of psychological distress and resilience. A national survey was conducted involving 1,264 lesbians and 1,470 gay men aged 16-89 years. Psychological distress was high; 32% of rural lesbians and 30% of rural gay men scored high to very high. There were no significant rural-urban differences for lesbians or gay men on distress or resilience, but rural gay men reported fewer non-heterosexual friends and were less likely to participate in mainstream community events. A range of demographic and psychosocial factors predicted psychological distress including experiences related to stigma and marginalization, but patterns differed between rural lesbians and rural gay men. Efforts may be needed to reduce mental health problems in rural lesbians and gay men, with attention also given to differences in the psychosocial circumstances between these two sexual identity groups.