Department of Sociology & Psychology, School of Public Administration, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610065, China.
Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, Psychology & Neuroscience, London, UK.
Arch Sex Behav. 2024 Nov;53(10):3895-3906. doi: 10.1007/s10508-024-02979-2. Epub 2024 Aug 23.
This study tested whether sexual orientation differences in depressive symptoms were partially explained by the chain mediation effect of neuroticism and victimization. Using the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children from the UK (N = 4647, 36.52% men, 88% White), self-reported neuroticism, sexual orientation, and depressive symptoms were measured at age 13.5, 21, and 22 years, respectively. Childhood abuse between birth and age 11 years and the individuals' experiences of being bullied at age 17.5 years were measured as the components of victimization. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. Non-heterosexual individuals reported higher depressive symptoms than heterosexual individuals, with a total effect (standardized path coefficient) of 0.590 and 0.768 for men and women, respectively. This association was partially explained by childhood abuse (indirect effect = 0.043 and 0.046 for men and women, respectively) and neuroticism directly (indirect effect = 0.036 and 0.056 for men and women, respectively). Sexual orientation differences in depressive symptoms were also partially explained by a path through increased risk of experiencing childhood abuse leading to higher levels of neuroticism (indirect effect = 0.004 and 0.009 for men and women, respectively) and by a path through higher levels of neuroticism leading to increased risk of being bullied (indirect effect = 0.004 and 0.002 for men and women, respectively). The findings suggest that while some of the association between sexual orientation and depression might be explained by neuroticism and experiences of victimization measured prospectively, these factors do not account for most of this relationship.
本研究旨在检验性取向差异是否部分通过神经质和受害的链式中介效应来解释抑郁症状。使用英国阿冯纵向研究父母和孩子（N=4647，36.52%为男性，88%为白人）的数据，分别在 13.5、21 和 22 岁时自我报告神经质、性取向和抑郁症状。0-11 岁期间的童年期虐待和 17.5 岁时被欺凌的经历作为受害的组成部分进行测量。采用结构方程模型对数据进行分析。非异性恋个体报告的抑郁症状高于异性恋个体，男性和女性的总效应（标准化路径系数）分别为 0.590 和 0.768。这种关联部分通过童年期虐待（男性和女性的间接效应分别为 0.043 和 0.046）和神经质直接解释（男性和女性的间接效应分别为 0.036 和 0.056）。抑郁症状的性取向差异也部分通过经历童年期虐待导致神经质水平升高的途径来解释（男性和女性的间接效应分别为 0.004 和 0.009），以及通过神经质水平升高导致被欺凌风险增加的途径来解释（男性和女性的间接效应分别为 0.004 和 0.002）。研究结果表明，虽然性取向和抑郁之间的一些关联可能部分通过前瞻性测量的神经质和受害经历来解释，但这些因素并不能解释这种关系的大部分。
