Study Shows More Mental Health Issues For Lesbians and Gays

8/14/09 8:25 AM ET- by Paula Brooks Mental Helath

A recently done study by researchers at UCLA has found that nearly twice as many gay, lesbian and bisexual Californians sought mental health or substance abuse treatment last year than did straights.

The study, which looked at data from a survey of more than 2,000 Californians, found 48.5 percent of gay, lesbian or bisexual individuals said they received treatment during the past year, as opposed with 22.5 percent of heterosexuals.

The study also found that lesbians and bisexual women were most likely to seek treatment while heterosexual men are the least likely to look for help.

“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,” Researcher Susan Cochran said in a news release.

The researchers speculate the increased use of healthcare might be the result of higher exposure to discrimination, violence and other stressful life events.

“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,” Cochran added.

Other studies have shown that LGBT young face daily threats to their mental and physical health, that range from anti-gay taunts to beatings in their schools and communities. Research indicates that 31 percent of gay youth were threatened or injured at school in just the last year.

Also because of a lack of safe places to socialize, the LGBT community has in the past had to rely on gay and lesbian bars as a place to meet potential friends and partners.

The study appears in the current issue BMC Psychiatry