ABSTRACT

Sexual minorities are at greater risk for mental health difficulties than their heterosexual peers, and bisexual and asexual individuals may be at particularly heightened risk. However, the majority of the literature has failed to examine nuanced differences within the sexual minority community. We examined depression, anxiety and happiness as indicators of mental health, and belonging and coping as general psychological processes in 2,424 female and male college students who identified as gay/lesbian, asexual, or bisexual. The findings revealed a significant main effect for sexual orientation such that bisexual individuals scored significantly higher on depression and lower on happiness than asexual and gay/lesbian individuals. Gay/lesbian and bisexual individuals scored significantly higher on anxiety and lower on coping than asexual individuals. Asexual individuals reported greater belonging than bisexual individuals, and gay/lesbian individuals scored in between those groups. The results also revealed a significant main effect for gender such that women had higher levels of depression and anxiety, and lower levels of happiness and coping than men. Finally, gender did not moderate the relationship between sexual orientation and the outcome variables. These findings highlight that the sexual minority community is not a monolithic group in terms of mental health or general psychological processes.

摘要

与异性恋同龄人相比，性少数群体患心理健康问题的风险更大，而双性恋和无性恋者的风险可能特别高。然而，大多数文献未能检验性少数群体内部的细微差别。我们将抑郁、焦虑和幸福作为心理健康的指标，将归属感和应对作为一般心理过程在 2,424 名被认定为男同性恋/女同性恋、无性恋或双性恋的男女大学生中进行了检查。研究结果揭示了性取向的显着主要影响，即双性恋者在抑郁方面的得分显着高于无性恋者和男同性恋者/女同性恋者。与无性恋者相比，男同性恋者和双性恋者在焦虑方面的得分明显更高，而在应对方面的得分则更低。无性恋者比双性恋者报告了更大的归属感，男同性恋者/女同性恋者在这些群体之间得分。结果还揭示了对性别的显着主要影响，即女性的抑郁和焦虑水平较高，而幸福感和应对能力的水平低于男性。最后，性别并没有调节性取向和结果变量之间的关系。这些发现强调了性少数群体在心理健康或一般心理过程方面并不是一个单一的群体。和低于男性的幸福感和应对能力。最后，性别并没有调节性取向和结果变量之间的关系。这些发现强调了性少数群体在心理健康或一般心理过程方面并不是一个单一的群体。和低于男性的幸福感和应对能力。最后，性别并没有调节性取向和结果变量之间的关系。这些发现强调了性少数群体在心理健康或一般心理过程方面并不是一个单一的群体。