Gender differences in the association of sexual orientation with depressive symptoms: A national cross-sectional study among Chinese college students

Navigating sexual minority identity in sport: a qualitative exploration of sexual minority student-athletes in China

BACKGROUND

Sexual minority student-athletes (SMSAs) face discrimination and identity conflicts in intercollegiate sport, impacting their participation and mental health. This study explores the perceptions of Chinese SMSAs regarding their sexual minority identities, aiming to fill the current gap in research related to non-Western countries.

METHODS

A qualitative methodology was adopted, utilising the Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach with self-categorization theory as the theoretical framework. Participants were recruited through purposive and snowball sampling, and data were collected via semi-structured interviews, documents, and field notes. Sixteen former and current Chinese SMSAs participated in this study.

RESULTS

The study reveals four themes: hidden truths, prioritisation of athlete identity, self-stereotyping, and attempt. The results revealed that while SMSAs were common in intercollegiate sport, their identities were often concealed and not openly discussed. The predominant focus on athlete identity in sport overshadowed their sexual minority identities. Additionally, SMSAs developed self-stereotypes that influenced their thoughts and behaviours. The non-heterosexual team atmosphere in women's teams led to the development of intimate relationships among teammates.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings from this study could be incorporated into existing sport policies to ensure the safe participation of SMSAs in Chinese intercollegiate sports. This research offers valuable insights for the development and implementation of inclusive policies. Future research in China could investigate the attitudes of coaches and heterosexual student-athletes toward sexual minority identities to inform targeted interventions.

Sexual Self-Identification Offsets and Self-Stigma Moderates: Expanding the Rejection-Identification Model to Examine Stigma's Effects on Well-Being Among Gay and Bisexual Men

Gender and sexual minorities still face stigma-related stress from all areas of society. The rejection-identification model (RIM) proposes that some stigmatized individuals may respond to the negative effects of stigma on well-being by enhancing their self-identification. However, this does not apply to all gender and sexual minorities. Grounded in minority stress theory and the RIM, this study examined how stigma-related stressors (i.e. perceived stigma and self-stigma) and their associated mechanisms impact sexual self-identification and subjective well-being. A total of 366 Chinese gay and bisexual men were included in the study. The results showed that sexual self-identification, as a protective factor, mediated the association between perceived stigma and subjective well-being. Furthermore, the indirect effect of the mediation model was moderated by self-stigma, such that the indirect effect of perceived stigma on subjective well-being through sexual self-identification was the highest among Chinese gay and bisexual men with low self-stigma. Given that research into the mental health and well-being of Chinese gay and bisexual men is still in its infancy, our findings are important and may help in developing and improving socially and psychologically sensitive counseling services or intervention strategies for these populations.

Sexual orientation and psychotic-like experiences among Chinese college students: the role of gender

Objective

The mental health of sexual minorities has received increasing attention, but there are few studies on the risk of psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) among sexual minorities. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between different sexual orientations and PLEs among college students and the moderating effect of gender.

Methods

A total of 4,460 college students from seven provinces participated in this cross-sectional survey. The χ2 test and logistic regression were used to investigate the relationship between sexual orientation and PLEs.

Results

Of the participants, 4.9% identified as bisexual, 1.1% as lesbian/gay, and 5.6% were questioning/unsure; 60.1% of the sample experienced at least one PLE item, 59.2% reported delusional experiences (DEs), and 20.6% had hallucinatory experiences (HEs). Compared with heterosexual college students, bisexual and questioning students showed a higher risk of PLEs, DEs, and HEs, and lesbian/gay students showed a higher risk of HEs. Stratified analysis indicated that sexual orientation was significantly associated with PLEs only for female college students.

Conclusion

Sexual orientation is a predictive factor of PLEs. In particular, different sexual minority subgroups show the different effects on PLEs between male and female college students. Mental health interventions for PLEs could employ distinct strategies based on different sexual orientations and gender disparity.

The Relationship between Minority Stress and Depressive Symptoms in the LGBTQA Population from Poland

The cross-sectional study examines minority stress and depression symptoms regarding various sexual and gender minority (SGM) identities in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and asexual (LGBTQA) individuals from Poland. The online survey was conducted among 509 people. Participants aged between 18 and 47 (M = 22.39, SD = 4.78). Gender identity included 262 cisgender women, 74 cisgender men, 31 transgender women, 53 transgender men, and 89 nonbinary individuals. Sexual identity comprises 197 bisexual, 150 homosexual, 78 pansexual, 33 asexual, 21 undefined, 14 heterosexual, 9 demisexuals, 6 queer, and 1 sapiosexual individual. The Daily Heterosexist Experiences Questionnaire (DHEQ) and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale-Revised (CESD-R) were used to measure minority stress and depression symptoms, respectively. Among LGBTQA participants, 99.80% declared minority stress at least once during the past year. In particular, vicarious trauma was experienced in 99.80% of participants, vigilance in 95.87%, harassment and discrimination in 80.35%, stress related to the family of origin in 69.16%, and to gender expression in 68.76% of respondents. Depression symptoms were found in 62.50% of respondents. Significantly higher rates of depression and minority stress were presented in dual than single SGM individuals. Binomial logistic regression showed that such sources of minority stress as vigilance, harassment, and gender expression could predict depression symptoms. Therefore, prevention and intervention programs should be designed for the LGBTQA population focusing on coping with these sources of minority stress, especially among those of dual SGM identity.

In the uncharted water: Meaning-making capacity and identity negotiation of Chinese lesbian and bisexual women

Chinese lesbian and bisexual women (LBW) often face difficulties and challenges on campus due to their multiple, socially-oppressed identities. These students have to navigate through uncharted environments to make meaning of their identities. In this qualitative study, by considering four environmental systems of student life, including the student club (microsystem), the university (mesosystem), families (exosystem), and society (macrosystem), we aim to explore what identity negotiation Chinese LBW students have in them and what their meaning-making capacity influence that identity negotiation. We find students experience identity security in the microsystem, identity differentiation-inclusion or inclusion in the mesosystem, and identity unpredictability-predictability or predictability in the exosystem and macrosystem. Moreover, they employ foundational, transitional (formulaic to foundational or symphonic), or symphonic meaning-making capacity to influence their identity negotiation. Suggestions are made for the university to create an inclusive climate accommodating students with different identities.

Childhood abuse, left-behind status and mental health among lesbian, gay, and bisexual young adults in China

BACKGROUND

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) young adults are at increased risk of mental distress in China. To better carry out psychological intervention, it is essential to understand unique patterns of mental distress and their association with childhood abuse/neglect, including experiencing being left behind by migrating parents.

OBJECTIVE

In a sample of Chinese LGB young adults, we examined: (1) associations between childhood abuse and left-behind status and mental distress; (2) latent profiles of mental distress; and (3) associations between childhood abuse and left-behind status and latent profiles of mental distress.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

A sample of 630 Chinese LGB young adults aged 18-30 years was recruited to complete an online survey.

METHODS

Participants provided demographic information and completed validated measures of childhood abuse experience and mental distress. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to identify patterns of mental distress, and logistic regression analysis was used to examine the relationships among these variables.

RESULTS

Results showed that all forms of childhood abuse and left-behind status were associated with all dimensions of adulthood mental distress. The LPA suggested a 3-group solution as optimal (no mental distress, mild mental distress, and moderate/severe mental distress). Participants who experienced any forms of childhood abuse were more likely to be members of both the mild mental distress and moderate/severe mental distress groups (all p's < 0.001). Also, participants who had left-behind status were more likely to be in the moderate/severe mental distress group (AOR = 1.61, p < .05).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings highlight the need for interventions aimed at addressing childhood abuse/neglect among Chinese LGB young adults, as these experiences increase the risk for mental health issues in adulthood.