Lesbian, Gay And Bisexual Individuals Research Articles

Exploring the Role of Attachment and Coping Strategies in Sexual Orientation Disparities in Depressive Symptoms

ABSTRACT We tested whether sexual orientation disparities in depressive symptoms are partially explained by a path through attachment anxiety or avoidance leading to ineffective coping strategies. A convenience sample of 1290 individuals from two reliable data collection platforms (Credamo and Wenjuanxing) in China were included. Structural equation modeling was performed, with sexual orientation treated as the independent variable, ineffective coping strategies, attachment avoidance and anxiety as mediators, and depressive symptoms as the dependent variable. We found that lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) individuals reported higher levels of attachment anxiety and avoidance than heterosexual individuals, regardless of sex, with Cohen’s ds ranging from 0.25 to 0.76. For both sexes, LGB individuals reported more depressive symptoms than heterosexual individuals, with total effects (standardized regression coefficients) ranging from 0.22 to 0.26. More depressive symptoms reported by LGB individuals compared to heterosexual individuals were partially explained by a path involving attachment avoidance or anxiety leading to ineffective coping strategies, with indirect effects ranging from 0.04 to 0.09 (small effect sizes). Overall, our results suggest that psychological factors, such as the cognitive or emotional representations of self and others, as well as ineffective coping strategies, may partially explain sexual orientation disparities in depressive symptoms.

COVID-19 stress, minority stress, and mental health among LGB Israeli individuals.

The outbreak of COVID-19 is severely affecting mental health worldwide. Minorities are more vulnerable than the general public to the physical, financial, and psychological effects of the current pandemic. In the current study, mental health among Israeli LGB individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown was investigated. One-hundred and 57 lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) individuals answered a questionnaire measuring COVID-19 stress, internalized homophobia, concealment, need of acceptance, anxiety, and depression. A structural equation model was conducted to test the proposed relations and mediating hypotheses. All three measures of minority stress were positively related to anxiety and depression. In addition, indirect associations were found between concealment and need of acceptance, and anxiety and depression, through stress related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings emphasize the ubiquity of minority stress, support the psychological mediation framework, and underline the need to investigate the effect of general and minority stress on the mental health of LGB individuals. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Body Uneasiness and Dissatisfaction Among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Heterosexual Persons

IntroductionWhile sexual minority people have been widely considered at risk for developing a range of body image concerns, evidence of body dissatisfaction and shame amongst LGB (lesbian, gay, and bisexual) individuals is mixed. This study investigated differences in body uneasiness, body dissatisfaction, and self-blaming/attacking attitudes between LGB and heterosexual individuals, as well as within LGB groups, while also examining the predictive role of body mass index (BMI).MethodsA sample of cisgender lesbian women (n = 163), gay men (n = 277), bisexual women (n = 135), bisexual men (n = 39), heterosexual women (n = 398), and heterosexual men (n = 219) completed an online survey assessing different aspects of body image between May and July 2020.ResultsGay and bisexual men reported greater body image disturbance and self-blaming attitudes relative to heterosexual men. In contrast, lesbian women reported lower body uneasiness than their bisexual and heterosexual counterparts, but greater self-hate. Moreover, lesbian and bisexual women showed more body dissatisfaction than gay men, and bisexual individuals reported more body uneasiness than individuals in other sexual minority subgroups. Higher BMI emerged as a significant predictor of body image concerns and dissatisfaction.ConclusionsBody image dimensions showed sexual identity–based differences. Determining the specific nuances of body image in LGB individuals can provide important information on potential risk factors that may impact mental health outcomes.Policy ImplicationsIn-depth knowledge of body dissatisfaction and uneasiness in individuals with LGB identities may have critical implications for the development of personalized prevention and treatment strategies.

"I'm Too Old for That": The Role of Ageism and Sexual Dysfunctional Beliefs in Sexual Health in a Sample of Heterosexual and LGB Older Adults: A Pilot Study.

The role of ageism (i.e., discrimination against individuals or groups on the basis of their age), in particular toward the sexuality of the elderly, remains, to date, an overlooked issue. A few studies have suggested that ageistic stereotypes can negatively affect older adults' sexual health. No data are available, in particular, about differences among heterosexual and LGB (lesbian, gay, and bisexual) populations. The present study aimed to investigate differences in perceived ageism and related dysfunctional beliefs in a sample of heterosexual (n = 104) and LGB (n = 103) older adults (aged 55 or older; mean age 66.5) and their impact on sexual health and satisfaction. LGB individuals reported higher rates of masturbation and sexual intercourse and an increased quality of sexual activity as compared to heterosexuals. In addition, no differences between the groups emerged as regards perceived ageism and dysfunctional beliefs toward ageing. In conclusion, LGB individuals perceived more ageism toward sexuality than their counterparts; however, heterosexuals were more likely to have dysfunctional beliefs toward sexuality in ageing. The study findings highlight the significance of examining sexual orientation to understand experiences of sexuality in ageing of the growing older population. Renewed socio-educational efforts based on these data are clearly needed.

Suicidal ideation and self-injury in LGB youth: a longitudinal study from urban Switzerland

BackgroundAdolescent suicidality, suicidal ideation (SUI) and self-harming behaviour (SI) are major public health issues. One group of adolescents known to be particularly prone to suicidality and mental health problems is lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) youth. Although the social acceptance of the LGB community has increased in recent years, LGB individuals are still at risk of mental health issues and suicidal behaviour. More longitudinal research looking into the associations between sexual orientation (SO) and facets of mental health across adolescence is warranted.MethodsThis research examined associations between sexual orientation, suicidal ideation and self-injury at 15, 17 and 20 years of age in a community-based sample of 1108 Swiss adolescents (51.1% females/48.9% males). At the age of 15 years, participants provided information regarding their SUI and SI. At 17 and 20 years of age, participants also reported their SO.ResultsTwelve percent of the female participants and 4.4% of the male participants reported identifying as LGB at 17 and 20 years of age. Self-reports of bi- or same-sex attraction increased over time in both genders, with the increase being more pronounced in females. LGB adolescents of both genders showed significantly higher percentages of SUI and SI at the ages of 17 and 20 years than their heterosexual peers.ConclusionsThe findings confirm a higher risk of SUI and SI in adolescents who identify as LGB. Future studies should develop interventions targeting mental health from early adolescence with the aim of reducing disparities related to SO.

Psychological Distress, Suicidal Ideation, and Suicide Attempt Among Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Immigrants: Population-Based Findings from the Stockholm Public Health Cohort.

In a large, population-based sample in Sweden, we sought to examine mental health disparities between lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) and heterosexual individuals with different immigration statuses. We conducted a population-based study including 1799 LGB and 69,324 heterosexual individuals, recruited in 2010 and 2014 as part of the Stockholm Public Health Cohort. Data were obtained from self-administered surveys that were linked to nationwide registers. We examined associations between mental health outcomes (i.e., psychological distress, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempt) and sexual orientation (LGB versus heterosexual), immigration status (immigrant versus Nordic-born), and their interaction. Sex-stratified weighted multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to calculate adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals. LGB individuals demonstrated substantially elevated odds of all mental health outcomes compared to heterosexuals; immigrants reported moderately elevated odds of psychological distress and suicide attempt, but not suicidal ideation, compared to Nordic-born individuals. Interaction terms between sexual orientation and immigration status were significant at p < 0.05 for psychological distress for both sexes and for suicidal ideation and attempt among women. Unexpectedly, models probing interactions generally demonstrated that Nordic-born LGB individuals demonstrated greater risk of psychological distress, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempt than did immigrant LGB individuals, especially among women. Supplemental analyses showed that Nordic-born bisexual women demonstrated the highest risk of all studied outcomes. Being LGB in Sweden is generally a stronger risk factor for poor mental health among Nordic-born than immigrant populations. These findings call for future intersectionality-focused research to delineate the unique cultural, social, and psychological factors associated with mental health and resilience among LGB immigrants.

Family support modifies the effect of changes to same-sex marriage legislation on LGB mental health: evidence from a UK cohort study.

BackgroundMany lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) individuals continue to experience unique challenges, such as the lack of family support and access to same-sex marriage. This study examines the effect of the introduction of same-sex marriage in the UK (2013–14) on mental health functioning among sexual minorities, and investigates whether low family support may hamper the positive effects of marriage equality legislation among LGB individuals.MethodsThis analysis included LGB participants (n = 2172) from the UK household longitudinal study waves 3–7, comprising two waves before and two waves after marriage equality legislation passed in England, Wales and Scotland. Individual-level mental health functioning was measured using the mental component score (MCS-12) of the Short Form-12 survey. Fixed-effect panel linear models examined the effect of marriage equality on MCS-12 across varying family support levels. Analyses included adjustment for covariates and survey weights.ResultsLegalization of same-sex marriage was independently associated with an increase of 1.17 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.28–2.05] MCS-12 in men and 1.13 (95% CI: 0.47–2.27) MCS-12 in women. For men, each additional standard deviation of family support modified the effect of legalization on mental health functioning by +0.70 (95% CI: 0.22–1.18) MCS-12 score. No interaction was found in women.ConclusionsOur findings provide evidence that same-sex marriage will likely improve LGB mental health functioning, and these effects may be generalizable to other European countries. Since male sexual minorities with low family support benefited the least, additional interventions aimed at improving family support and acceptance of this group is required to help reduce mental health disparities.

Job Satisfaction and Sexual Orientation in Britain

Studies looking at patterns of labour market outcomes among lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) individuals focus mostly on earnings, while non-pecuniary outcomes of LGB individuals have remained a relatively under-researched area. Using the latest wave of the Workplace Employment Relations Study (WERS), this article investigates the job satisfaction levels of LGB individuals compared to their heterosexual peers for the first time in Britain. The results show significantly lower job satisfaction levels only for bisexual men, compared to their heterosexual counterparts. Moreover, the findings do not show a direct impact of LGB(T)-related workplace policies on job satisfaction levels.

Political engagement and turnout among same-sex couples in Western Europe

This paper presents and addresses a simple, yet overlooked, research question: is there a sexuality gap in political engagement and participation between sexual minority individuals and the heterosexual majority in Western Europe? To answer this question, we employ a recently applied method of identifying lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) individuals using data on the gender composition of cohabiting partner households from the European Social Survey. Relying on a total sample of more than 110,000 individuals across 12 different countries with an identified sample of 1542 LGB individuals, we test the divergence in political interest and political participation, both electoral and non-electoral, between LGB and non-LGB individuals. The results of our empirical analyses conform with our expectations. Theorising that LGBs, as a marginalised social stratum, are incentivised to participate and ‘vote like their rights depended on it’, we find empirical evidence of a significant and positive ‘sexuality gap’ in levels of political interest, turnout and other forms of political participation in Western Europe over and above what can be determined by socio-economic determinants of political participation.

Service Provider Perspectives of Minority Stress among Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual People in the UK

ABSTRACT Mental health inequalities among Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) people from lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) communities persist and remain under-researched. This study is the first in the UK to explore, from the perspective of service providers, minority stress experienced by BAME LGB people. Twenty-three participants were interviewed and data were analyzed using qualitative thematic analysis. Minority stress theory was utilized to inform the analysis, yielding the following themes: (1) Stress induced by conflicting sociocultural norms, (2) interpersonal inhibitors of coming out, (3) and problematic coping. BAME LGB individuals are exposed to stressors due to their intersecting sexual, gender, religious, and cultural identities. Major psychological stressors include stigmatized identity, expectations of a heterosexual marriage, and maladaptive coping strategies. This study sheds light on the potential steps that can be taken to ensure effective coping responses among BAME LGB people.

Cigarette smoking, ENDS use and dual use among a national sample of lesbians, gays and bisexuals.

INTRODUCTIONHistorically, lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) individuals have higher rates of cigarette smoking, often attributed to targeted tobacco advertising, exposure to stressors, and psychological distress. Elevated use of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) among LGB individuals has been documented recently. However, the LGB groups are not homogeneous and differences may exist between the use of tobacco by men and women within the LGB groups. The purpose of this research was to examine cigarette smoking, ENDS use and dual use (cigarettes plus ENDS) among LGB subgroups.METHODSWe classified 2087 participants completing a national online survey based on tobacco-use status (i.e. cigarette only, ENDS only, dual use) and sexual orientation. Multinomial logistic regression was employed to assess group differences.RESULTSAfter adjusting for demographics and socioeconomic status, bisexual women were 1.85 times (95% CI: 1.19–2.87) more likely to report current dual use, in contrast to cigarette only use, compared to heterosexual women. No significant differences were found between lesbian and heterosexual women, or between gay or bisexual men and their heterosexual counterparts.CONCLUSIONSThis study describes significantly greater dual use by bisexual women and is one of the first reports of elevated dual use in this group compared to heterosexual women. These findings suggest that targeted health messages may be needed to raise awareness of risk in specific LGB groups and that future research with these populations is necessary to better understand differences in tobacco perceptions and use.

Victim, Police, and Prosecutorial Responses to Same-Sex Intimate Partner Violence: A Comparative Approach

Research on intimate partner violence (IPV) and the criminal justice response to such incidents is extensive, but the majority of this research has focused on IPV perpetrated by men against women in heterosexual partnerships. Yet, recent research has indicated that the prevalence of IPV among LGB (lesbian, gay, and bisexual) individuals may be as high as or higher than that of the general population. At the same time, a significant body of research has examined police and prosecutorial responses to IPV; again, the overwhelming majority of this research has also focused on heterosexual partners. Following this, the current research uses National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) data to create dyads of both opposite-sex (i.e., male–female and female–male) and same-sex partners (i.e., male–male and female–female) to investigate the joint relationship between sex, sexual orientation, and three different criminal justice outcomes: victim refusal to cooperate with police, police decision to arrest, and the prosecutorial decision to deny a case.

A structural equation model for predicting depressive symptomatology in Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic gay, lesbian and bisexual people in the UK

ABSTRACT This study identifies the predictors of depressive symptomatology in Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people in the UK. 289 White and BAME LGB individuals participated in a cross-sectional survey. BAME participants exhibited significantly more discrimination, rejection from significant others, ethnic victimisation, internalised homophobia and concealment motivation than White participants. They manifested greater internalised homophobia, less outness and greater drug use than White participants. Outness was associated with less depressive symptomatology, and internalised homophobia and victimisation with more depressive symptomatology. The structural equation model showed a significant effect of ethnicity on depressive symptomatology. This relationship was mediated by the situational stressors, the psychological schemata and coping variables. Consistent with the cognitive-behavioural model, the results indicate that exposure to situational stressors can increase the risk of developing a self-hatred and depressive psychological self-schema, maladaptive coping strategies and depressive symptomatology in BAME LGB people in the UK.

‘Coming out’ across cultures: Examining the experiences of Ecuadorian and Spanish LGB employees

Lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) employees use the invisible character of their sexual identity to adopt strategies that reveal or hide their sexual orientation at work. Previous research has focused on environmental and individual factors that play a role in the disclosure process of LGB employees, yet cultural factors that may also impact this process have remained practically ignored in the literature. In this study we analyze the disclosure process of 15 Spanish and 15 Ecuadorian LGB individuals through in-depth semi-structured interviews. The results suggest that some cultural elements in each country, such as religion and gender role norms, make the experiences of the participants dissimilar. The consequences of adopting different disclosure strategies have been found for both the individual (e.g., relationship with colleagues, well-being) and organizations (e.g., performance). This study highlights the need for research to find effective measures to include LGB people in organizations and encourages researchers to adopt a cultural approach when studying the process of disclosure at work.

“Why is it that here we can be a family, and there we cannot?” How Wider Socio-Institutional Frameworks Shape Experiences of LGB Parenting

The legal status and social acceptance of same-sex partners’ families vary to an astonishing degree, even within the European Union (EU). These differences are sharply reflected in the lives of lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) migrants from Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) residing in countries such as Belgium or the Netherlands, where same-sex partners can marry, access adoption and assisted reproductive technologies (ART) services, and acquire legal co-parenting rights. For this group, every visit to a CEE country of origin with a constitutional definition of marriage as a union between a man and a woman, with limited or no access to adoption services, nor to ART or co-parenting rights, highlights the societal and institutional vulnerability of their families. Based on biographical narrative interviews (BNIM) with six LGB migrants from selected CEE countries of origin, raising children with a same-sex partner in Belgium or the Netherlands, this study analyses how differences in wider socio-institutional frameworks shape experiences of LGB parents relating to the formation, display, recognition and acceptance of their families. The findings highlight how the restrictive legal and institutional frameworks not only exclude LGB individuals from full citizenship, but also provide support for the individual-level discrimination of non-heterosexual families. In contrast, inclusive frameworks allow LGB individuals to realize life and family trajectories already accessible to others in society, while also discouraging the expression of individual prejudice. Therefore, the study concludes that the only way to ensure full equality and to protect LGB individuals and their children from stigmatization is to create a fully inclusive socio-institutional framework for non-heterosexual families in which individual prejudice is no longer supported.

The Stressors and Psychological Well-Being of Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual among Chinese Adults in Hong Kong

Background: Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual (LGB) are individuals who often experienced stigma and discrimination which has detrimental effects on psychological well-being. Objectives: This study aimed to identify the major stressors and psychological well-being of LGB among Chinese adults in Hong Kong. Methods: A cross-sectional study was employed using self-administered questionnaires. Convenience sampling was used to recruit subjects. Demographic information, Measure of Gay-related stress (MOGS) and The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D Scale) were used to collect data. Results: The major stressor among LGB individuals in Hong Kong was family reaction. Majority of them had a high level of depression. Conclusion: LGB individuals in Hong Kong experienced high level of depression.

Sexual orientation moderates the association between parental overprotection and stress biomarker profiles

ABSTRACTEarly experiences with parents may be particularly difficult for lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) individuals who face stigma that is linked to potentially distinct stress-related biobehavioural profiles. This study examined the association between parental bonding in relation to acute stress (cortisol reactivity) and chronic stress (allostatic load) in LGB and heterosexual individuals. The sample consisted of 87 healthy adults (mean [SD] age = 24.6 [0.6] years; LGB: n = 46, 43% women; and heterosexual n = 41, 49% women). Regressions tested the main effects of retrospectively assessed parental overprotection and care before the age of 16 on stress reactive cortisol (area under the curve) and allostatic load (indexed using 21 neuroendocrine, immune, metabolic and cardiovascular biomarkers), and whether sexual orientation status moderated this association. Results revealed that parental overprotection was associated with increased cortisol reactivity only for LGB participants, but not for heterosexual participants. By contrast, parental overprotection was associated with higher allostatic load only for heterosexual participants, but not for LGB participants. While the functional significance of this requires further study, these preliminary findings suggest that adaptive processes among LGB individuals may mitigate the negative effects of parental overprotection on markers of chronic stress.

Abstract P001: LGB Health Disparities: Examining the Status of Ideal Cardiovascular Health From the 2011-2012 NHANES Survey

Objectives: Extensive data suggests that lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) adults are more likely to experience adverse cardiovascular outcomes relative to heterosexuals. However, evidence regarding cardiovascular health (CVH) disparities and sexual orientation is scarce. The aim of this study was to examine the distribution of CVH metrics in a US nationally representative population of heterosexual (HT), and LGB adults. Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed 2445 participants (representing 115 million) adults aged 18 or over years in the 2011-2012 NHANES survey. The CVH factors of smoking, body mass index (BMI), physical activity (PA), diet, blood pressure (BP), total cholesterol (TC) and glucose (GLU) were measured. Each CVH factor was then classified as ideal; intermediate; or poor. Ideal CVH was defined as presence of &gt;=5 ideal CVH metrics. Results: 95.1% of the weighted sample self-identified as HT (95% CI: 93.5%, 96.6%) compared to 4.9% (95%: 3.3%, 6.5%) LGB. The figure illustrates the distribution of each of the 7 CVH categories according to sexual orientation. In age, gender, and race adjusted analysis, LGB individuals were 36% (AOR: 0.64; 95%: 0.29, 1.4; p &gt; 0.05) less likely to have ideal CVH compared to HT. These proportions go higher after adjusting for age. Conclusions: The results suggest that LGB individuals face a higher risk of being in the category for poor cardiovascular health compared to heterosexuals. Evidence suggests that there are sexual orientation disparities among adults. If confirmed in other studies, results point towards disproportionately higher risk for cardiovascular disease among sexual-minority populations. Figure

Queer narratives and minority stress: Stories from lesbian, gay and bisexual individuals in Norway.

This study aims to explore how minority stress related to sexual orientation is reflected in narratives from lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) individuals in Norway, with an impact for national public health policy. Arthur Frank's dialogical narrative analysis was applied to personal stories from 65 persons self-referring to different categories of queer identities, submitted online anonymously to a Norwegian national archive for queer history. A purposive sample of three different stories were selected due to their capacity to illuminate how various aspects of minority stress are narrated in diverse interplays between individual voices and resources, and cultural scripts and societal influences. Our analysis highlighted how stories may offer significant glimpses into the dynamic and complex fashioning of sexual identities, giving precious clues to the vulnerabilities and strengths of the narrator. Contemporary queer narratives from Norway reflect meaning-making related to sexual orientation that are influenced by, and expand upon, the classical scripts dominated by tragedy and tristesse, personal progress or simply no particular tension. LGB individuals of different ages and backgrounds had experienced aspects of minority stress related to their sexual orientation, with a substantial impact on identity, even when significant others were encouraging. The stories indicate that positive proximal processes, such as personal resilience and sympathetic environments, can support mental health and counteract negative effects of distal processes contributing to minority stress, such as heteronormativity and subtle microaggression. Public health strategies addressing attitudes to sexual orientation among the general population may contribute to diverse affirmative cultural scripts about queer lives, thereby enhancing queer mental health.

Intergroup Contact as the Missing Link Between LGB Rights and Sexual Prejudice

Abstract. Although research has revealed that more progressive LGB (lesbian, gay, and bisexual) rights are positively associated with more favorable attitudes toward sexual minorities, little is known about why LGB rights co-occur with positive attitudes. The present contribution fills this gap by testing whether the prevalence of intergroup contact with LGB individuals explains the relationship between more progressive LGB rights and sexual prejudice. Utilizing representative Eurobarometer data from 28 European Union Member States, we find that progressive institutional arrangements positively predict favorable attitudes toward sexual minorities by rendering intergroup contact with LGB individuals more commonplace. Importantly, this pattern of findings replicates for different measures of prejudice and LGB-related legislation. The theoretical and practical implications of the current findings are discussed.