Bai Yihong, Kim Chungah, Levitskaya Elena, Burneiko Nadzeya, Ienciu Kristine, Chum Antony
School of Kinesiology and Health Science, York University, 4700 Keele St, Toronto, ON, M3J 1P3, Canada.
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Western University, London, ON, Canada.
Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2025 May;60(5):1187-1196. doi: 10.1007/s00127-024-02751-w. Epub 2024 Aug 27.
In the context of increasing hate crimes, legislative challenges, and anti-LGBTQ + sentiment, we conducted the first study that comprehensively examined long-term mental health disparities across sexual orientations in the UK from 2010 to 2021. Prior studies predominantly relied on cross-sectional or limited longitudinal designs, thus failing to capture evolving trends over a decade and providing crucial insights into the dynamics of mental health challenges faced by sexual minorities, essential for devising targeted public health interventions and policies.
Waves 2-12 of the UK Longitudinal Household Survey for adults (n = 52,591) were used. MCS-12 (Mental Health Component Scale of the Short-Form Health Survey) for mental functioning and GHQ (General Health Questionnaire) for psychological distress were included as the main outcomes, along with other measures of well-being. Mixed-effect longitudinal models were used to examine the trends of mental health disparities across sexual orientations.
Relative to their heterosexual counterparts, psychological distress (GHQ) increased for gay men, lesbians, and women with "other" orientations. Bisexual women saw the steepest increase from 1.69 higher GHQ vs. their heterosexual counterparts in 2010 (95%CI: 0.81 to 2.57), up to 3.37 in 2021 (95%CI: 2.28 to 4.45). Similar trends were also shown in the other measures.
The study highlights increases in mental health disparities between sexual minorities and heterosexuals. The escalating psychological distress among sexual minorities, particularly bisexual women, calls for an urgent, multi-faceted, and intersectoral response. This approach must address both symptoms and the social structures perpetuating these disparities across sexual orientations.
在仇恨犯罪不断增加、立法面临挑战以及反 LGBTQ+ 情绪的背景下，我们开展了第一项全面研究，考察了 2010 年至 2021 年英国不同性取向人群的长期心理健康差异。以往的研究主要依赖横断面或有限的纵向设计，因此未能捕捉到十年间不断变化的趋势，也未能深入了解性少数群体所面临的心理健康挑战动态，而这些对于制定有针对性的公共卫生干预措施和政策至关重要。
使用了英国成人纵向家庭调查的第 2 - 12 波数据（n = 52,591）。将用于衡量心理功能的 MCS - 12（简短健康调查问卷的心理健康分量表）和用于衡量心理困扰的 GHQ（一般健康问卷）作为主要结果，同时纳入了其他幸福感指标。采用混合效应纵向模型来考察不同性取向人群心理健康差异的趋势。
与异性恋者相比，男同性恋者、女同性恋者以及具有“其他”性取向的女性的心理困扰（GHQ）有所增加。双性恋女性的心理困扰增加最为显著，从 2010 年比异性恋者高 1.69（95%置信区间：0.81 至 2.57），上升到 2021 年的 3.37（95%置信区间：2.28 至 4.45）。其他指标也呈现出类似趋势。
该研究凸显了性少数群体与异性恋者之间心理健康差异的增加。性少数群体，尤其是双性恋女性中不断升级的心理困扰，呼吁采取紧急、多方面和跨部门的应对措施。这种方法必须解决症状问题以及使这些性取向差异长期存在的社会结构问题。
