Grella Christine E, Greenwell Lisa, Mays Vickie M, Cochran Susan D
Center for Research, Education, Training and Strategic Communications on Minority Health Disparities, University of California, Los Angeles, USA.
BMC Psychiatry. 2009 Aug 14;9:52. doi: 10.1186/1471-244X-9-52.
Prior research has shown a higher prevalence of substance use and mental disorders among sexual minorities, however, the influence of sexual orientation on treatment seeking has not been widely studied. We use a model of help-seeking for vulnerable populations to investigate factors related to treatment for alcohol or drug use disorders and mental health disorders, focusing on the contributions of gender, sexual orientation, and need.
Survey data were obtained from a population-based probability sample of California residents that oversampled for sexual minorities. Logistic regression was used to model the enabling, predisposing, and need-related factors associated with past-year mental health or substance abuse treatment utilization among adults aged 18-64 (N = 2,074).
Compared with individuals without a diagnosed disorder, those with any disorder were more likely to receive treatment. After controlling for both presence of disorder and other factors, lesbians and bisexual women were most likely to receive treatment and heterosexual men were the least likely. Moreover, a considerable proportion of sexual orientation minorities without any diagnosable disorder, particularly lesbians and bisexual women, also reported receiving treatment.
The study highlights the need to better understand the factors beyond meeting diagnostic criteria that underlie treatment utilization among sexual minorities. Future research should also aim to ascertain the effects of treatment provided to sexual minorities with and without diagnosable disorders, including the possibility that the provision of such treatment may reduce the likelihood of their progression to greater severity of distress, disorders, or impairments in functioning.
先前的研究表明，性少数群体中物质使用和精神障碍的患病率较高，然而，性取向对寻求治疗的影响尚未得到广泛研究。我们使用一个针对弱势群体的求助模型，来调查与酒精或药物使用障碍及精神健康障碍治疗相关的因素，重点关注性别、性取向和需求的作用。
调查数据来自加利福尼亚居民的基于人群的概率样本，该样本对性少数群体进行了过度抽样。使用逻辑回归对18 - 64岁成年人（N = 2,074）中与过去一年心理健康或药物滥用治疗利用相关的促成因素、易患因素和需求相关因素进行建模。
与未被诊断出患有疾病的个体相比，患有任何疾病的个体更有可能接受治疗。在控制了疾病的存在和其他因素后，女同性恋者和双性恋女性最有可能接受治疗，异性恋男性最不可能接受治疗。此外，相当一部分没有任何可诊断疾病的性取向少数群体，特别是女同性恋者和双性恋女性，也报告接受了治疗。
该研究强调需要更好地理解性少数群体中治疗利用背后超出满足诊断标准的因素。未来的研究还应旨在确定对有和没有可诊断疾病的性少数群体提供治疗的效果，包括提供这种治疗可能降低他们病情发展到更严重痛苦、疾病或功能障碍程度的可能性。
