Members of sexual minorities are almost twice as likely as heterosexuals to seek help for mental health issues or substance abuse treatment. 48.5% of lesbian/gay/bisexual individuals reported receiving treatment in the past year as compared to 22.5% of heterosexuals. In addition, gender was shown to play a large role; lesbians and bisexual women were most likely to receive treatment and heterosexual men were the least likely, according to the results in BMC Psychiatry.
Susan Cochran worked with a team of researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles using data they collected from 2074 people first interviewed in the California Health Interview Survey.
According to Cochran, "It is well known that health services utilization is greater among women generally. Here we have shown that minority sexual orientation is also an important consideration. Lesbians and bisexual women appear to be approximately twice as likely as heterosexual women to report having received recent treatment for mental health or substance use disorders."
The researchers speculate about the causes correlating to the increased use of healthcare and cite issues such as higher exposure to discrimination, violence, and other stressful life events.
Cochran added, "The pervasive and historically rooted societal pathologizing of homosexuality may contribute to this propensity for treatment by construing homosexuality and issues associated with it as mental health problems".
Article: Christine E. Grella, Lisa Greenwell, Vickie M. Mays and Susan D. Cochran, 'Influence of gender, sexual orientation, and need on treatment utilization for substance use and mental disorders: findings from the california quality of life survey', BMC Psychiatry (in press)
Comments
But they may also be pointing right. It has to be examined to know.
Hank Campbell | 08/13/09 | 22:25 PM
Logically the argument makes a lot of sense. Those who are marginalized and abused, not by "society", but by some misfit members of society are more likely to have issues. This is not unlike the fat kid in gym class, the girl with bad acne or the smallest guy in the class. All of these people become targets because they don't fit the norm and while they may experience no significant abuse from one individual, the combined mistreatment likely plays havoc on their mental well being. Of course, further study will be needed to really understand the unanswered questions that arise from this study.
Wellescent Health Blog (not verified) | 08/14/09 | 00:54 AM
LGBT people I think are more likely to take advantage of mental health services because we are marginalized the disadvantage of admitting to a mental issue is not a big deal. People who have mental health problems, everything from the quirky personality disorders (which if you read about those I don't know who would not have some aspects of at least one of those), to the paranoid schizophrenic. If it is known you have sought mental health care people will discriminate against you. LGBT people already experience prejudice. The advantage of getting help outweighs the disadvantage of mental health stigma.
This is just another example which shows that we all need to learn to accept mental health as a equal part of overall health and well being and not just a refuge for the lazy, angry, or demo possessed.
Hontas Farmer | 08/15/09 | 13:12 PM
This is getting seriously boring.