Psychological Distress Mediates the Relationship Between Bisexual Discrimination and Disordered Eating Behaviors in Bi + Women

Abstract

This study sought to expand the scope of research on bi+ (bisexual and other plurisexual orientations such as pansexual) women and their experiences with disordered eating. A small body of research suggests that bi + women are at elevated risk of disordered eating compared with many other demographics, and this may be attributable to minority stress experiences (i.e., discrimination). The mechanism by which discrimination affects disordered eating in bi + women, however, remains unexamined. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the mediating role of psychological distress in the relationships between bisexual discrimination and disordered eating behaviors in bi + women. N = 250 bi + women completed an online survey including the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire, the Brief Version of the Anti-Bisexual Experiences Scale, and the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale. A series of mediation analyses showed that bisexual discrimination was indirectly associated with binge eating, compensatory behaviors, and restraint through psychological distress, with the relationship between bisexual discrimination and binge eating becoming non-significant when considering psychological distress. This study illustrates the importance of understanding bisexual discrimination and psychological distress when examining disordered eating in bi + women. Implications may inform research and clinical practice focused on promoting bi + women’s overall health. Future work should seek to examine these relationships longitudinally to investigate their temporal nature.