Microaggressions and Health Outcomes among Racially and Ethnically Diverse Bisexual Women

Abstract

This study assessed the relationship between microaggressions and health outcomes among bisexual women. Participants came from the Women’s Daily Experiences Study, a mixed method study of bisexual women recruited in Chicago (N = 112). Using cross-sectional data, we tested bivariate and multivariate associations of lifetime and past year sexual orientation microaggressions with depression, anxiety, self-assessed mental and physical health, and substance use. We also tested relationships between intersectional microaggressions, related to racial and sexual minority identities, and health outcomes among a sub-sample of women of color (n = 64). The majority of participants reported experiences of microaggressions in their lifetime and in the past year. Multivariate analyses revealed significant associations between lifetime and past year sexual orientation microaggressions, mental health and substance use. Among bisexual women of color, intersectional microaggressions were significantly associated with higher levels of depression, anxiety, and poorer self-assessed mental health. Implications and future directions are discussed.