LGBT Risk to Mood Disoders and Anxiety Disoders

Many LGBT people suffer from symptoms of depression and anxiety due to a lifetime of discrimination and ridicule. It might be hard for us to imagine how discrimination and prejudice could engenders depression and anxiety, however, we should appreciate and understand the social stress that LGBT people face on top of the common stress we have in your workplace, school and family. There are many findings report that the vulnerability of  LGBT people of having mood disorder and anxiety disorder is much higher than heterosexual people.

1) A study done in 2011 by University of Michigan revealed that  discrimination, harassment and  internalized homonegativity are the main factor that explain depression and anxiety among black sexual minority men. 30% of the sample had a scale scores indicating likelihood of depression and anxiety (Graham et al., 2001).

2) Homosexual seniors who have not come out or come to terms with their sexual orientation may experience depression and isolation from the years of internalized homophobia (Altman, 2000).

3) Chronic low-grade depression is often the reason gay men seek therapeutic assistance. These symptoms can arise out of societal oppression and difficulties they face in the coming-out process. Long term symptoms of depression are masked by substance abuse and only emerge after the individual begins recovery from chemical dependency (Gonsiorek, 1982; Smith, 1988).

4) A research in U.S. based on 912 men who self-identified as both Latino and non-heterosexual showed high prevalence rates of psychological symptoms of distress in the population of gay Latino men during the 6 months before the interview, including suicidal ideation (17% prevalence), anxiety (44%), and depressed mood (80%). Experiences of social discrimination were strong predictors of psychological symptoms (Diaz et al., 2001).

5) In Conhran and Mays' study in 2000, lesbian women are more likely to experience generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) than their heterosexual female counterparts.

6) Homosexual and bisexual individuals are more frequently than heterosexual persons reported both lifetime and day-to-day experiences with discrimination. Approximately 42% attributed this to their sexual orientation, in whole or part. Perceived discrimination was positively associated with both harmful effects on quality of life and indicators of psychiatric morbidity (depression, anxiety disorder, substance abuse, panic disorder) in the total sample(Mays & Cochran, 2001).

7) People with GID often experience anxiety or depression and may have thoughts of suicide (Doctor & Neff, 2001; Bradley. 1995). Anxiety and depression might be the reactions that related to the confusion and pain brought on by the disorder itself, but they may also be tied to the prejudice typically experienced by individuals in daily basis.

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Picture link: http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mbg31rCqsb1qk1b4io1_1280.jpg

 

 

References

Altman, C. (2000). Gay and lesbian seniors: Unique challenges of coming out in later life. SIECUS Report, 4, 14.

Bradley, S. J. (1995).Psychosexual disorders in adolescence. In J. M. Oldham & M. B. Riba (Eds.), American Psychiatric Press review of psychiatry, (Vol. 14). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press.

Cochran, S.D, & Mays, V. M. (2000). Relation between psychiatric syndromes and behaviorally defined sexual orientation in a sample of the US population. American Journal of Epidemiology , 151(5), 516-523.

Mays, V. M. & Cochran, S. D (2001). Mental Health Correlates of Perceived Discrimination Among Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Adults in the United States. American Journal of Public Health, 91(11), 1869–1876.

 

Díaz RM, Ayala G, Bein E, Henne J & Marin BV. (2001). The impact of homophobia, poverty, and racism on the mental health of gay and bisexual Latino men: findings from 3 US cities. American Journal of Public Health, 91(6), 927-32.

Doctor, R.M., Neff, B. (2001). Sexual Disorders. In H. S. Friedman (Ed.), Specialty articles from the encyclopedia of mental health. San Diego: Academic Press.

Graham LF, Aronson RE, Nichols T, Stephens CF, Rhodes SD. (2011). Factors Influencing Depression and Anxiety among Black sexual Minority Men. Retrieved October 12, 2012 from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21941644

Gonsiorek, J. (1982). The use of diagnostic concepts in working with gay and lesbian populations. Journal of Homosexuality, 7, 9-20.