Bränström Richard, Pachankis John E
Karolinska Institutet, Division of Psychology, Stockholm, Sweden.
Yale School of Public Health and the Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.
J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2025 May;64(5):602-611. doi: 10.1016/j.jaac.2024.07.916. Epub 2024 Aug 2.
The aim of the current study was to identify the age at which sexual orientation disparity in mental health diagnoses can be first identified, as well as gender and sexual identity subgroup differences in such treatment, in a population-based sample.
Young people aged 16 to 25 (N = 10,406) participating in the probability-based Swedish National Public Health Survey in 2018 were included. This sample was linked to physician-assessed mental health care treatment history data starting when all participants were 8 years old using national health care registries.
Participants reporting a sexual minority identity in adolescence and young adulthood were more than 3 times as likely to have been treated for an internalizing disorder diagnosis (eg, depression, anxiety) and more than twice as likely to have been treated for a neurodevelopmental disorder diagnosis during childhood than participants reporting a heterosexual identity. Sexual minority participants overall and women in particular were more likely to have been treated for an internalizing disorder diagnosis at an early age compared with heterosexual participants, with this disparity starting at age 13. The sexual orientation disparity in likelihood of treatment for a neurodevelopmental disorder diagnosis was particularly elevated among bisexual/pansexual women with this disparity starting in early/middle adolescence.
This population-based study linked to physician-assessed mental health diagnoses during childhood and adolescence identifies the age at which sexual orientation differences in treatment for common mental disorders emerge. The early emergence of this disparity suggests a potential benefit of interventions that facilitate social belonging for all youth.
In this study, the authors explored the link between self-reported sexual orientation with physician-assessed mental health diagnoses and treatment history during childhood and adolescence. Using data from 10,406 participants in the Swedish National Public Health Survey, the authors found that those reporting a sexual minority identity in young adulthood were more than 3 times as likely to have been treated for depression and/or anxiety with this disparity starting at age 13. Sexual orientation disparity was particularly elevated among bi-/pansexual women, who have been previously treated for a neurodevelopmental disorder, with this disparity starting in early/mid adolescence. This study represents the first use of a population-based sample to identify the age at which sexual orientation differences in common mental disorders emerge. The early emergence of these disparities suggests a potential benefit of interventions that facilitate social belonging for all youth.
本研究旨在确定在基于人群的样本中，心理健康诊断中可首次识别出性取向差异的年龄，以及此类治疗中的性别和性身份亚组差异。
纳入了2018年参与基于概率的瑞典国家公共卫生调查的16至25岁的年轻人（N = 10406）。该样本与使用国家医疗保健登记系统从所有参与者8岁起开始的医生评估的心理健康护理治疗史数据相关联。
报告在青春期和青年期有性少数身份的参与者被诊断为内化性障碍（如抑郁症、焦虑症）而接受治疗的可能性是报告异性恋身份的参与者的3倍多，在儿童期被诊断为神经发育障碍而接受治疗的可能性是后者的两倍多。与异性恋参与者相比，总体性少数参与者，尤其是女性，在早年被诊断为内化性障碍而接受治疗的可能性更大，这种差异从13岁开始。双性恋/泛性恋女性在神经发育障碍诊断治疗可能性方面的性取向差异尤为明显，这种差异在青春期早期/中期开始出现。
这项与儿童期和青春期医生评估的心理健康诊断相关联的基于人群的研究，确定了常见精神障碍治疗中性取向差异出现的年龄。这种差异的早期出现表明，促进所有青少年社会归属感的干预措施可能有益。
在本研究中，作者探讨了自我报告的性取向与儿童期和青春期医生评估的心理健康诊断及治疗史之间的联系。利用瑞典国家公共卫生调查中10406名参与者的数据，作者发现，在青年期报告有性少数身份的人被诊断为抑郁症和/或焦虑症而接受治疗的可能性是其他人的3倍多，这种差异从13岁开始。双性恋/泛性恋女性在神经发育障碍诊断治疗可能性方面的性取向差异尤为明显，她们之前曾被诊断为神经发育障碍，这种差异在青春期早期/中期开始出现。本研究首次使用基于人群的样本确定了常见精神障碍中性取向差异出现的年龄。这些差异的早期出现表明，促进所有青少年社会归属感的干预措施可能有益。
