1 Department of Pedagogical and Educational Sciences, University of Groningen , Groningen, The Netherlands .
2 Population Research Center, The University of Texas at Austin , Austin, Texas.
LGBT Health. 2018 Oct;5(7):421-430. doi: 10.1089/lgbt.2017.0225. Epub 2018 Oct 2.
The current study examines differences between lesbian, gay, bisexual, and questioning (LGBQ) students and heterosexual students in terms of counseling and mental health services received (healthcare utilization), from whom students would seek help, and who contributed positively to students' ability to cope during a stressful period.
An online survey was administered among 25,844 college students, enrolled in 76 schools (mean age = 25.52). The majority of participants was graduate students (42.81%) and reported their race/ethnicity as non-Hispanic White (70.49%).
Compared with their heterosexual counterparts, gay males and lesbian/gay and bisexual females reported receiving more counseling or mental health services, most notably from counselors, therapists, psychologists, and/or social workers. Bisexual males and LGBQ females were less likely to seek help from a parent or family member compared with heterosexual males and females, respectively. Racial/ethnic minority bisexual females were less likely to seek help from a friend or roommate than non-Hispanic White bisexual females. Compared with their heterosexual counterparts, gay and questioning males and LGBQ females were more likely to report that religion reduced their ability to cope.
The current findings illuminate important differences by sexual orientation in terms of seeking and receiving mental health services. Although we found that lesbian/gay and bisexual college students were more likely to receive counseling and mental healthcare, we cannot ascertain whether they were satisfied with the services they received. The findings also suggest that certain groups of LGBQ students do not find support with their clergy and family, which may indicate a lack of understanding or acceptance of LGBQ issues.
本研究考察了同性恋、双性恋、无性恋和疑问（LGBQ）学生与异性恋学生在接受咨询和心理健康服务（医疗保健利用）方面的差异，学生将向谁寻求帮助，以及谁对学生在压力期间的应对能力产生积极影响。
对 76 所学校的 25844 名大学生进行了在线调查（平均年龄=25.52 岁）。大多数参与者为研究生（42.81%），并报告自己的种族/民族是非西班牙裔白人（70.49%）。
与异性恋者相比，男同性恋者和女同性恋/双性恋者报告接受了更多的咨询或心理健康服务，尤其是来自辅导员、治疗师、心理学家和/或社会工作者的服务。与异性恋男性和女性相比，双性恋男性和 LGBQ 女性不太可能向父母或家人寻求帮助。与非西班牙裔白人双性恋女性相比，少数族裔的双性恋女性不太可能向朋友或室友寻求帮助。与异性恋者相比，男同性恋者、无性恋者和 LGBQ 女性更有可能报告宗教降低了他们的应对能力。
本研究结果阐明了在寻求和接受心理健康服务方面，性取向方面的重要差异。尽管我们发现女同性恋/双性恋和双性恋大学生更有可能接受咨询和心理健康保健，但我们无法确定他们是否对所接受的服务感到满意。这些发现还表明，某些群体的 LGBQ 学生在神职人员和家庭中没有得到支持，这可能表明他们对 LGBQ 问题缺乏理解或接受。
