Relationships Between Social Support, Identity, Anxiety, and Depression Among Young Bisexual People of Color

Abstract

Bisexual People of Color (POC) may experience greater barriers in connecting to social support compared to White sexual minority people and heterosexual racial or ethnic minority people due to multiple intersecting experiences of marginalization. Social support may be positively related to bisexual identity experience and mental health. We investigated the relationships between different types of social support, bisexual identity experience, and anxiety and depression amongst a sample of young bisexual POC. We conducted a survey with 178 bisexual people ages 18–25 who identified as either POC or with a racial or ethnic minority identity. Social support was related to lower reported rates of experienced binegativity, anxiety, and depressive symptoms, whereas greater connection to the Lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer (LGBTQ) community was related to higher rates of binegativity and bisexual identity affirmation. Amongst some participants, greater rates of binegativity were associated with worse depression and anxiety symptoms. The current findings support that young bisexual POC are able to effectively utilize positive sources of social support.