Life satisfaction and sexual minorities: Evidence from Australia and the United Kingdom

Surveying Psychological Wellbeing in a Post-Pandemic World: The Role of Family and Social Support for LGBTQ+ and Cisgender Heterosexual Adults in the UK

Studies have emphasized the importance of social support in mitigating the relationship between psychological distress and mental health effects, with family of origin and family of formation providing key sources of social support over the life course. However, LGBTQ+ people may experience family of origin relationships as a source of distress, while partners and friends may buffer the relationship between minority stress and psychological wellbeing. Through our online survey (March-June 2022), which was conducted when the social restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic were lifted in the UK, we considered the association between psychological wellbeing and sources of social support by sampling n = 1330 LGBTQ+ and cisgender heterosexual adults. LGBTQ+ adults generally experienced poorer psychological wellbeing outcomes than did cisgender heterosexual people. For LGBTQ+ adults, social support from family of origin, a special person, or friends was not associated with depression, anxiety, or stress levels, but social support from family or a special person was positively associated with higher levels of life satisfaction. Our findings indicate the importance of considering negative as well as positive wellbeing.

Predicting life satisfaction using machine learning and explainable AI

Life satisfaction is a crucial facet of human well-being. Hence, research on life satisfaction is incumbent for understanding how individuals experience their lives and influencing interventions targeted at enhancing mental health and well-being. Life satisfaction has traditionally been measured using analog, complicated, and frequently error-prone methods. These methods raise questions concerning validation and propagation. However, this study demonstrates the potential for machine learning algorithms to predict life satisfaction with a high accuracy of 93.80% and a 73.00% macro F1-score. The dataset comes from a government survey of 19000 people aged 16-64 years in Denmark. Using feature learning techniques, 27 significant questions for assessing contentment were extracted, making the study highly reproducible, simple, and easily interpretable. Furthermore, clinical and biomedical large language models (LLMs) were explored for predicting life satisfaction by converting tabular data into natural language sentences through mapping and adding meaningful counterparts, achieving an accuracy of 93.74% and macro F1-score of 73.21%. It was found that life satisfaction prediction is more closely related to the biomedical domain than the clinical domain. Ablation studies were also conducted to understand the impact of data resampling and feature selection techniques on model performance. Moreover, the correlation between primary determinants with different age brackets was analyzed, and it was found that health condition is the most important determinant across all ages. The best performing Machine Learning model trained in this study is deployed on a public server, ensuring unrestricted usage of the model. We highlight the advantages of machine learning methods for predicting life satisfaction and the significance of XAI for interpreting and validating these predictions. This study demonstrates how machine learning, large language models and XAI can jointly contribute to building trust and understanding in using AI to investigate human behavior, with significant ramifications for academics and professionals working to quantify and comprehend subjective well-being.

Perceived Community Belonging as a Moderator of the Association Between Sexual Orientation and Health and Well-Being

PURPOSE

This study examines the moderating role of perceived community belonging in the association between sexual orientation and various health and well-being outcomes.

DESIGN

A national cross-sectional survey.

SETTING

Confidential microdata from the 2021 Canadian Community Health Survey.

SUBJECTS

Individuals aged 15 and older, with a sample size ranging from 43,000 to 44,100.

MEASURES

Sexual orientation, health and well-being outcomes, and sense of community belonging were all self-reported. Outcomes included self-rated general and mental health, depressive symptoms, and life satisfaction.

ANALYSIS

A series of multiple linear regression models.

RESULTS

Compared to heterosexual individuals, bisexual individuals reported poorer self-rated general health (b = .402, P < .001 for men; b = .454, P < .001 for women) and mental health (b = .520, P < .001 for men; b = .643, P < .001 for women), higher depressive symptoms (b = 2.140, P < .001 for men; b = 2.685, P < .001 for women), and lower life satisfaction (b = .383, P < .05 for men; b = .842, P < .001 for women). Few disparities were observed among gay men and lesbians. Contrary to some recent findings, no disparities were observed among individuals uncertain about their sexual orientation or those who chose not to disclose it, even without controlling for covariates. A stronger sense of community belonging mitigated the disadvantages associated with self-rated general health (b = -.276, P < .01) and depressive symptoms (b = -.983, P < .01) for gay men, and life satisfaction (b = -.621, P < .01) for lesbians.

CONCLUSION

This study is among the first to highlight the stress-buffering role of community belonging in the association between sexual orientation and health and well-being outcomes.

Does being conceived by assisted reproductive technology influence adult quality of life?

Numerous studies have investigated the physical health and development of children and adolescents conceived with assisted reproductive technology (ART). Less is known about the quality of life of ART-conceived adults. This study explores the contributions of being conceived with ART and psychosocial cofactors present in young adulthood to the quality of life of adults aged 22-35 years. Young adults conceived through ART or natural conception (NC) completed questionnaires which included a standardized measure of quality of life (World Health Organization Quality of Life - Brief assessment (WHOQoL-BREF)) when aged 18-28 years (T1) and again when aged 22-35 years (T2). The WHOQoL-BREF has four domains: (i) Physical, (ii) Psychological, (iii) Social relationships and (iv) Environment. A total of 193 ART-conceived and 86 NC individuals completed both questionnaires. When accounting for other cofactors in multivariable analyses, being ART-conceived was strongly associated with higher scores (better quality of life) on the Social relationships, and Environment WHOQoL-BREF domains at T2. In addition, less psychological distress, a better relationship with parents, a better financial situation, and perceptions of being about the right weight at T1 were associated with higher scores on one or more of the WHOQoL-BREF domains at T2. In conclusion, being ART-conceived can confer advantages in quality of life in adulthood, independent of psychosocial cofactors.

Do sexual minorities believe that they die earlier? Results from a large, representative survey

BACKGROUND

While various consequences of belonging to sexual minorities have been examined - it remains completely unclear whether sexual minorities believe that they die earlier. Thus, our aim was to investigate the association between sexual orientation and expected longevity.

METHODS

Data from the German Ageing Survey, a nationally representative sample, were used (year 2014, n = 6,424 individuals; mean age: 63.6 years). It included individuals residing in private households aged 40 years and over in Germany. Sexual orientation (heterosexual; sexual minorities including homosexual, bisexual, or other) served as key independent variable. As outcome, we used the expected life expectancy. In multiple linear regressions it was adjusted for gender, age, education, marital status, labour force participation, BMI, smoking status, alcohol intake, sports activities, physical functioning, self-rated health and the number of chronic conditions.

RESULTS

Adjusting for sociodemographic, lifestyle-related and health-related factors, our study showed that sexual minorities reported a lower expected longevity (β=-0.69, p = .02) compared to heterosexuals. This association remained nearly the same in robustness checks.

CONCLUSION

After adjusting for various other factors, our findings showed a lower life expectancy among sexual minorities compared to heterosexuals. Efforts are required to make sexual minorities believe in a high life expectancy (e.g., increased optimism or reduced perceived discrimination) - which in turn can help to increase their actual longevity and successful ageing. Future research is required to explore underlying mechanisms (such as expected stigma in later life).

Anxiety, Attachment Styles and Life Satisfaction in the Polish LGBTQ+ Community

Poland is one of the most discriminatory places in Europe. The political situation, legal policies, and society's attitude towards people from the LGBTQ+ community in Poland clearly indicate the need to study the mental health and well-being of this group of individuals. Based on Meyer's minority stress theory, Bowlby's attachment theory, the Ainsworth attachment framework, Diener's subjective well-being model, and provided empirical evidence, this study examined the significance of attachment styles and anxiety as predictors of life satisfaction among the Polish LGBTQ+ community. It also explored the differences between LGBTQ+ and heterosexual individuals in the levels of tested variables. A total of 414 participants took part in this study, of whom most study participants were young adults (M = 24.50; SD = 6.94). Of those, 130 participants identified themselves as heterosexual, while 284 declared themselves members of the LGBTQ+ community. The Satisfaction with Life Scale, Plopa's Attachment Styles Questionnaire, and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory were used. Data demonstrate that anxiety and attachment styles were significant predictors of life satisfaction in the LGBTQ+ community. Moreover, LGBTQ+ individuals had higher non-secure attachment styles and anxiety scores, and lower life satisfaction scores in comparison to heterosexual individuals. The presented study is the first Polish study to test such relationships in the Polish LGBTQ+ community. It draws attention to lower life satisfaction among study participants representing the LGBTQ+ community in comparison to cisgender heterosexual individuals. This indicates that researchers, clinical specialists and practitioners should try to improve the levels of subjective well-being in Polish LGBTQ+ individuals, for example, through psychoeducational and supportive programs. In addition, the presented results highlight the possible important role of attachment styles in the functioning of the presented group.

Sexual Orientation and Psychosocial Factors in Terms of Loneliness and Subjective Well-Being in Later Life

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

The aim of our study was to fill the gap in knowledge regarding the association between sexual orientation and psychosocial outcomes (loneliness and subjective well-being) based on nationally representative samples.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Cross-sectional data collected in 2017 were taken from a nationally representative sample of individuals in the second half of life (>40 years) in Germany (n = 4,785, average age 66.4 years, standard deviation [SD]: 10.5 years). Outcomes were assessed using well-established tools (life satisfaction: Satisfaction with Life Scale; positive and negative affect: Positive and Negative Affect Schedule; loneliness: De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale). Sexual orientation was dichotomized (heterosexual; sexual minorities including gay/lesbian, bisexual, and other). Analyses were adjusted for socioeconomic factors, lifestyle-related factors, and health-related factors.

RESULTS

In total, around 7.8% of respondents belonged to sexual minorities. Adjusted for various several socioeconomic, lifestyle-related and health-related covariates, linear regressions showed that sexual minority older adults reported higher loneliness scores (β = 0.07, p < .05), whereas sexual orientation was not associated with subjective well-being (life satisfaction, as well as positive and negative affect). Furthermore, our analysis showed that gender, age, marital status, and depressive symptoms were consistently associated with loneliness and subjective well-being.

DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS

In accordance with minority stress theory, our study showed that sexual minority older adults report higher loneliness scores. This finding is important as loneliness has become widely acknowledged as a new geriatric giant, which could increase, for example, the risk of morbidity and mortality. Moreover, reducing loneliness is important for successful aging.

Behavior without beliefs: Profiles of heteronormativity and well-being among heterosexual and non-heterosexual university students in Chile

Heteronormativity comprises essentialist, binary beliefs about sex and gender, and normative behaviors derived from those beliefs. There is scarce literature on how heteronormative attitudes and well-being variables are concurrent among individuals who are heterosexual or gay, lesbian, bisexual, and of other queer sexual identities (LGBQ). The objective of this study was to distinguish profiles of university students based on essentialism and normative behavior, two dimensions of heteronormativity, and to characterize these groups by sexual orientation and gender, perceived social support, physical and mental health, and life satisfaction. A sample of 552 university students in Temuco, Chile, responded to an online questionnaire consisting of sociodemographic questions, the Scale of Heteronormative Attitudes and Beliefs, the Life Satisfaction Scale, the Health-Related Quality of Life Index, and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. We used Latent profile analysis to distinguish profiles based on significant score differences in Essentialism and Normative behavior. We identified four heteronormativity profiles: High heteronormativity (34.85%), with a significant proportion of heterosexuals and men; Low heteronormativity (25.59%), comprising a significant proportion of students who were non-binary, and LGBQ; Heteronormativity focused on normative behavior (20.42%), with a significant proportion students who were men or non-binary, and who were lesbian, gay or bisexual or preferred not to disclose their sexual orientation; and Heteronormativity focused on essentialism (19.14%), with a significant proportion of heterosexuals and women, and individuals who preferred not to disclose their sexual orientation. The four profiles differed in the proportions of students by faculty and area of residence (urban/rural), and by life satisfaction, self-perceived mental health, and perceived social support. These results show that patterns of association between heteronormativity and subjective well-being are heterogeneous among heterosexual and non-heterosexual individuals. Some of these patterns may respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has disrupted daily life and social dynamics. These findings expand our understanding of advantageous and disadvantageous conditions associated with maintaining heteronormativity attitudes, particularly among non-heterosexual individuals.

Valuing the impact of self-rated health and instrumental support on life satisfaction among the chinese population

Background

Research has highlighted that satisfaction in health, and instrumental support (IS) are key areas of life affecting an individual’s wellbeing. Many social and public health initiatives use these two intervention mechanisms to improve individual’s wellbeing. For the purpose of cost-benefit assessment, there has been growing interest in expressing these intervention effects in economic terms. However, only a handful of studies have ever estimated these effects in economic terms, none of which examined them in a Chinese context. The aim of this study is to extend this line of valuation work to the Chinese population, estimating the implicit willingness-to-pays on the effects of improving individuals’ self-rated health (SRH) status and IS on their life satisfaction (LS).

Methods

Using data from a two-wave representative panel survey in Hong Kong (n = 1,109), this study conducted a cross-lagged analysis with a structural equation modelling technique to examine the causal effects of SRH and IS on LS. The use of this cross-lagged approach was an effort to minimise the endogeneity problem. Then, substituting the respective estimates to the formulae of compensating surplus, the marginal rate of substitution of SRH and IS with respect to individual’s equivalised monthly household income (HI) were estimated and were then expressed as the implicit willingness-to-pays on the effect of improving individuals’ SRH and IS on their LS.

Results

The cross-lagged analysis ascertained the causal effects of SRH (β = 0.074, 95% Confidence Interval: 0.021, 0.127) and IS (β = 0.107, 95% Confidence Interval: 0.042, 0.171) on individuals’ satisfaction with life. Translating into the concept of compensating surplus, the implicit monetary values of improving the sample’s SRH from “poor health” to “excellent health” and their perceived IS from “little support” to “a lot of support” are equivalent to an increase in their equivalised monthly HI by US$1,536 and US$1,523 respectively.

Conclusions

This study is the first to derive the implicit monetary values of SRH and IS on individual’s LS in a predominantly Chinese society, and it has implications for the cost-benefit assessment in wellbeing initiatives within the population.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-022-13626-7.

Locus of control and the mental health effects of local area crime

RATIONALE

Exposure to local crime can constitute profound and continuing trauma with significant mental health implications. This is true for both victims and others within society who have not been directly victimised. Yet, for most policymakers, understanding what can be done to help victims to improve their level of mental wellbeing, has proved to be extremely challenging.

OBJECTIVE

Our objective is to explore the role of locus of control (LoC), an important personality trait, in helping victims to develop resilience against crime. Specifically, we seek to examine the impact of local area crime rates on the mental health of residents and whether a person's LoC can help build resilience against the negative mental health effects from local area crime.

METHODS

Using 19 waves of longitudinal data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey, covering 15,245 adults between the ages of 21 and 59 years, we employ an empirical strategy that addresses the issue of sorting and endogenous crime-related moving behaviour.

RESULTS

We find that local area crime lowers mental health for residents, and that those who are more internal on LoC are more resilient to the adverse effects of local crime on mental health. Our results also show that social capital, physical activity, perceived safety and neighbourhood satisfaction are mechanisms through which LoC moderates the effect of local crime on mental health.

CONCLUSION

Our findings have important implications for developing policies that seek to address the negative effects of crime. We propose policies that promote building safer communities and fostering social inclusion as ways to reduce the effect of crime on mental health.

Outcomes of student trainee-delivered cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) on internalizing symptoms, CBT skills, and life satisfaction

Increased quality of life (QoL) is rated by patients as a primary factor in determining recovery from psychopathology. Cognitive-behavioral therapies (CBTs) are the most well-researched psychotherapies for internalizing disorders and appear effective at reducing symptoms even when delivered by trainees. Existing research suggests that the effects of CBTs on QoL are more modest than their effects on symptoms. However, little is known about the effects of trainee-delivered CBT on life satisfaction, a subjective measure of QoL. We analyzed data from 93 clients treated by students (n=23) in a graduate-level training clinic using an intent-to-treat approach, completers case analyses, and random forest imputation. Across methods of handling missing data, improvements in anxiety, depression, and CBT skills were more marked than improvements in QoL. Exploratory analyses suggested baseline life satisfaction was the strongest predictor of end-of-treatment life satisfaction. Future research should explore alternatives to "standard" CBT for clients with low life satisfaction.

Do different means of recording sexual orientation affect its relationship with health and wellbeing?

Analyses of an individual's sexual orientation over time are desirable for policy evaluations and in estimating causal effects. We explore whether accounting for those who change sexual orientation over two time points, to create a measure of fluidity, produces substantially different results compared to sexual orientation measured at one time point and extrapolated to subsequent survey waves. We use seven waves of the UK Household Longitudinal Study which asked sexual orientation identity questions at two time points: waves three (2011-2013) and nine (2017-2019). Using the relationship with sexual orientation and various health outcomes as an empirical example, via a correlated random effects estimation approach, we find that the infrequent reporting of sexual orientation could over-estimate the negative impact for lesbian, gay and "other" individuals and under-estimate the negative impact for bisexuals. We further test the feasibility of the fluidity measure by examining attrition by sexual orientation identity and find small but statistically significant probabilities of attrition. Correction for attrition bias through inverse probability weighting makes little difference to the results. These results highlight the importance of accounting for changes in sexual orientation in empirical analysis and that doing so is feasible.

Religious Barriers to the Diffusion of Same-sex Civil Unions in Italy

The legal recognition of civil unions between same-sex partners, in May 2016, could be defined as a revolution for the system of legal norms regarding the “heterosexual family-centric-system” in Italy. Using official data on the 17,341 people resulting in a same-sex civil union collected by the Italian National Institute of Statistics in the years 2016–2018, this paper analysed the relationship between religious secularization and the diffusion of same-sex civil unions at the regional level in Italy. In particular, an indicator of the incidence of civilly united individuals over total population has been regressed on the rate of heterosexual marriages celebrated according to the civil rite. According to abundant literature, the latter variable could be interpreted as a proxy of secularization. The results indicate that less secularized regions are also those where less civil unions have been celebrated. The results are confirmed also when an instrumental variable approach is implemented. Studying this topic in Italy is particularly interesting since the country has been defined as the least secularized among economically developed nations.

The Influence of Internalized Homophobia on Health-Related Quality of Life and Life Satisfaction Among Gay and Bisexual Men in China

The aim of this study was to examine the influences of internalized homophobia on Chinese gay and bisexual men's quality of life and life satisfaction. Four hundred and eighty-three participants completed the Internalized Homophobia Scale, Chinese SF-12 Health Survey Version 2, and Satisfaction With Life Scale via the Internet. Scores for quality of life in several domains and life satisfaction were significantly lower than the heterosexuals' norm scores. The present study revealed that internalized homophobia significantly negatively correlated with the mental component summary score and life satisfaction. The mental component summary score mediated the relationship between internalized homophobia and life satisfaction. Sexual orientation moderated the relationship between internalized homophobia and mental component score. Gay and bisexual men in China experience poorer quality of life and less satisfaction with life compared to heterosexuals, and internalized homophobia contributes to both.

Health and socio-economic inequalities by sexual orientation among older women in the United Kingdom: findings from the UK Household Longitudinal Study

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and queer (LGBQ) women living in the United Kingdom (UK) experience worse health than their heterosexual peers throughout their lives, but less is known about health inequalities in older age. This study uses population-level data to examine inequalities among LGBQ older women and women who prefer not to disclose their sexuality, compared to heterosexual women. Analyses use data from women aged 50 and older who were active in Waves 3 and 7 of the UK Household Longitudinal Study (also known as Understanding Society) (N = 8,209) to examine inequalities in socio-economic conditions, health and alcohol consumption across sexual orientation groups. LGBQ older women are on average younger and have higher socio-economic resources than their heterosexual peers. In contrast, women who prefer not to disclose their sexual orientation are older and have the lowest income and educational qualifications. Results of the health inequalities analyses show that LGBQ older women are almost twice as likely as heterosexual older women to engage in harmful alcohol consumption. Older women who prefer not to disclose their sexuality have worse physical and mental health than heterosexual older women. The health of LGBQ older women and women who prefer not to disclose their sexual orientation is one of the most neglected research areas in UK gerontology. Findings of this study contribute to our understanding of their social and health circumstances, and illuminate methodological limitations in existing data.

The health and wellbeing of Australian lesbian, gay and bisexual people: a systematic assessment using a longitudinal national sample

OBJECTIVE

This study revisits disparities in health and wellbeing by sexual identity in Australia, identifying which domains demand priority policy intervention, documenting differences between gay/lesbian vs. bisexual populations, and examining change over time in the relative health and wellbeing of sexual minorities.

METHOD

I fitted multivariable ordinary least squares and random-effect panel regression models on 20 outcomes to compare the health and wellbeing of heterosexual, gay/lesbian and bisexual people, using 2012/2016 data from a national probability sample - the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey.

RESULTS

I found strong associations between sexual minority identities and most health and wellbeing outcomes. These were comparatively larger for: role-emotional health, mental health and general health; bisexual compared to gay/lesbian people; and minority women compared to minority men. I found no change over time in the relative health and wellbeing outcomes of gay/lesbian people, but evidence of worsening circumstances among bisexual people.

CONCLUSION

There are important disparities in the health and wellbeing profiles of different sexual minority populations in Australia, based on sex (male vs. female), sexual identity (gay/lesbian vs. bisexual), and observation time (2012 vs. 2016). Implications for public health: Sexual identity remains an important marker of risk for health and wellbeing outcomes within Australia, underscoring the importance of fully integrating sexual identity in health policy and practice.

Sexual identity, same-same relationships, and health dynamics: New evidence from Australia

Prior research has found that opposite-sex marital and cohabiting relationships are associated with improvements in health. However, studies examining the health dynamics of same-sex relationships are sparser because few nationally representative longitudinal datasets collect information on adults' sexual identity. Using newly available data on sexual minorities from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey, we estimate the effects of Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual (LGB) identification and same-sex relationships on health dynamics. We document two key findings. First, sexual minorities in Australia are more likely to engage in risky health behaviors and report worse health than their heterosexual counterparts. Second, after exploiting the longitudinal nature of the HILDA and accounting for selection into relationships using the dynamic panel approach of Kohn and Averett (2014), we find that while opposite-sex partnerships are associated with a 3 to 7 percentage-point decline in risky health behaviors and improved physical and mental health, the health benefits of same-sex relationships are weaker, particularly for men.

Structural stigma and the health and wellbeing of Australian LGB populations: Exploiting geographic variation in the results of the 2017 same-sex marriage plebiscite

RATIONALE

Lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) people experience poorer life outcomes than heterosexual people, with ongoing debates about the aetiology of these differences. Minority stress theory draws attention to the importance of structural stigma, which concerns hostile social environments for sexual minorities that constrain their opportunity structures. Yet few studies have operationalised structural stigma and tested its influence, with most focusing on the US context; even fewer studies examine the underlying mechanisms.

OBJECTIVE

This study expands the available evidence to Australia, which constitutes an interesting case study due to the implementation in late 2017 of a national postal plebiscite on same-sex marriage legislation. It also adds to knowledge by theorising and testing the mediating role of perceived social support in explaining the association between structural stigma and the life outcomes of LGB people.

METHOD

The analyses leverage geographical variation at the electorate level (n = 150) in the share of 'No' voters in the plebiscite as a measure of structural stigma. This aggregate-level information is merged to individual-level data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey, a large, national probability sample (n∽15,000).

RESULTS

Multilevel regression models yield results which are consistent with minority stress theory and previous US scholarship: LGB people report comparatively worse life satisfaction, mental health and overall health in constituencies with higher shares of 'No' voters, controlling for a large set of individual- and aggregate-level confounds. Perceived social support mediates a large portion of the effects of structural stigma on LGB outcomes.

CONCLUSION

These findings have significant implications for policy and practice, highlighting the need for interventions aimed at reducing community levels of structural stigma and increasing social support to LGB populations.

Mindfulness and Other Psycho-Social Resources Protective Against Mental Illness and Suicidality Among Gay Men

Background: There is considerable evidence of health disparities among gay men characterized by higher levels of stress and distress. Psycho-social resources have been linked to numerous positive health outcomes and shown to act as buffers in the stress-distress pathway. Methods: With data from the 3rd Geneva Gay Men's Health Survey carried out in 2011 using time-space sampling (n = 428), a relatively elaborate profile of 14 psycho-social resources-including mindfulness-is presented. Using their original scores, latent class analysis created an index variable dividing the respondents into meaningful groups. Psycho-social resources-the index variable as well as each resource individually-were then compared to two recent outcomes-i.e., serious mental illness in the past 4 weeks and short-term disability in the past 2 weeks-using a series of logistic regression models, controlling for all other psycho-social resources and socio-demographic confounders. To assess their potential role as buffers, a similar series of logistic regression models were erected using victimization and three outcomes-i.e., major depression, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempt-in the past 12 months. Results: According to the latent class analyses, (1) 5.1% of this sample had a low level of psycho-social resources (i.e., one standard deviation (SD) below the group means), (2) 25.2% a medium-low level, (3) 47.4% a medium level (i.e., at the group means), and (4) 22.2% a high level of psycho-social resources (i.e., one SD above the group means). Psycho-social resources appeared to strongly protect against recent mental morbidity and buffer against the impact of victimization on major depression and suicidality in the past 12 months, reducing the adjusted odds ratios below statistical significance. The explained variance and the individual psycho-social resources which remained independent in the models differed for each outcome. Conclusions: There may be disparities in several psycho-social resources among gay men, and as strong compensatory and protective factors, they may explain in part the well-established disparities in stress and distress in this population. While multiple psycho-social resources should be promoted in this population, gay men under 25 years should receive particular attention as all three disparities are most pronounced in this age group.

Gender-specific health implications of minority stress among lesbians and gay men

OBJECTIVES

Lesbians and gay men are exposed to unique minority stressors. We examined the health implications of one type of distal minority stressor (victimisation) and one type of proximal minority stressor (sexual identity concealment due to anticipated stigma) among lesbians and gay men. Gender-specific health implications were assessed.

METHODS

Data were collected via an online survey involving an Australian sample of 1,470 gay men and 1,264 lesbians. Survey questions assessed demographics, experiences of different forms of sexual identity-related victimisation and sexual identity concealment in a variety of contexts. Health outcomes included self-reported general health, illicit drug use, frequency of alcohol consumption, smoking status, and weight status.

RESULTS

Gay men reported higher rates of victimisation and identity concealment than lesbians. Controlling for demographic differences, experiences of victimisation were associated with poorer self-rated health, illicit drug use, and smoking among both gay men and lesbians. In contrast, identity concealment was linked with poorer health outcomes among lesbians only.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings offer new insights into the potential antecedents of the health inequalities that have previously been reported for these populations.