Tobacco, marijuana, and sensation seeking: Comparisons across gay, lesbian, bisexual, and heterosexual groups.

This study examined patterns of smoked substances (cigarettes and marijuana) among heterosexuals, gays, lesbians, and bisexuals based on data from the 2000 National Alcohol Survey, a population-based telephone survey of adults in the United States. We also examined the effect of bar patronage and sensation seeking/impulsivity (SSImp) on tobacco and marijuana use. Sexual orientation was defined as lesbian or gay self-identified, bisexual self-identified, heterosexual self-identified with same-sex partners in the past 5 years, and exclusively heterosexual (heterosexual self-identified, reporting no same-sex partners). Findings indicate that bisexual women and heterosexual women reporting same-sex partners had higher rates of cigarette smoking than exclusively heterosexual women. Bisexual women, lesbians, and heterosexual women with same-sex partners also used marijuana at significantly higher rates than exclusively heterosexual women. Marijuana use was significantly greater and tobacco use was elevated among gay men compared with heterosexual men. SSImp was associated with greater use of both of these substances across nearly all groups. Bar patronage and SSImp did not buffer the relationship between sexual identity and smoking either cigarettes or marijuana. These findings suggest that marijuana and tobacco use differ by sexual identity, particularly among women, and underscore the importance of developing prevention and treatment services that are appropriate for sexual minorities. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Retrospective recall of sexual orientation identity development among gay, lesbian, and bisexual adults.

Although recent attention has focused on the likelihood that contemporary sexual minority youth (i.e., gay, lesbian, bisexual [GLB]) are “coming out” at younger ages, few studies have examined whether early sexual orientation identity development is also present in older GLB cohorts. We analyzed retrospective data on the timing of sexual orientation milestones in a sample of sexual minorities drawn from the California Quality of Life Surveys. Latent profile analysis of 1,260 GLB adults, ages 18–84 years, identified 3 trajectories of development: early (n = 951; milestones spanning ages 12–20), middle (n = 239; milestones spanning ages 18–31), and late (n = 70; milestones spanning ages 32–43). Motivated by previous research on variability in adolescent developmental trajectories, we identified 2 subgroups in post hoc analyses of the early profile group: child onset (n = 284; milestones spanning ages 8–18) and teen onset (n = 667; milestones spanning ages 14–22). Nearly all patterns of development were identity centered, with average age of self-identification as GLB preceding average age of first same-sex sexual activity. Overall, younger participants and the majority of older participants were classified to the early profile, suggesting that early development is common regardless of age cohort. The additional gender differences observed in the onset and pace of sexual orientation identity development warrant future research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Incidence and mental health impact of sexual orientation victimization of lesbian, gay, and bisexual youths in high school.

This study examined victimization during high school based on sexual orientation of 350 lesbian, gay, or bisexual (lgb) youths aged 21 and younger. Experiences of direct victimization as well as knowledge of other lgb youths' victimization were assessed. Over half reported verbal abuse in high school because of their sexual orientation, and 11% said they had been physically assaulted. Youths who were more open in high school about their sexual orientation and who had a history of more gender atypical behavior were victimized more often. Male youths were targeted significantly more often than females, Youths' current mental health symptoms, especially traumatic stress reactions, were associated with having experienced more verbal abuse in high school. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-acceptance and self-disclosure of sexual orientation in lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults: An attachment perspective.

A model linking attachment variables with self-acceptance and self-disclosure of sexual orientation was tested using data from 489 lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) adults. The model included the following 4 domains of variables: (a) representations of childhood attachment experiences with parents, (b) perceptions of parental support for sexual orientation, (c) general working model of attachment, and (d) LGB variables. Results generally supported the proposed model. For example, attachment avoidance and anxiety were associated with self-acceptance difficulties, and avoidance was associated with low levels of outness in everyday life. Parental attachment had an indirect effect on identity and outness through its associations with parental LGB support and general attachment. Some results varied depending on participants' gender and parental religious affiliation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Adaptation to sexual orientation stigma: A comparison of bisexual and lesbian/gay adults.

This study extends research on dimensions of sexual minority experience by examining differences between bisexual and lesbian/gay adults in adaptation to sexual orientation stigma. The authors investigated sexual orientation self-disclosure, connection to community, and 4 identity-related variables (internalized homonegativity, stigma sensitivity, identity confusion, and identity superiority) in a community sample of 613 lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults. Sexual orientation effects were found on 3 of these 6 variables: Bisexual participants reported higher levels of identity confusion and lower levels of both self-disclosure and community connection relative to their lesbian/gay peers. Taken together, the 6 variables predicted indicators of psychosocial functioning. Associations among the 6 dimensions of sexual minority experience and psychosocial functioning did not differ for bisexual and lesbian/gay participants. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gender and sexual identity-based predictors of lesbian, gay, and bisexual affirmative counseling self-efficacy.

This exploratory study applies the tenets of social cognitive theory to investigate the influence of gender self-confidence and of sexual identity exploration and commitment on lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) affirmative counselor self-efficacy. Data were gathered from a convenience sample of 178 mental health clinicians. Controlling for participants' age, professional experience, level of income, race and ethnicity, and sexual orientation, findings revealed that higher levels of LGB-affirmative counseling self-efficacy were positively associated with gender self-definition and with sexual identity commitment. Post hoc analyses conducted with the 5 subscales of the LGB-affirmative counseling self-efficacy measure indicated that findings varied across specific self-efficacy domains. Implications of these results for continuing education, training, and research promoting LGB-affirmative psychotherapy are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The role of self-control in early escalation of substance use: A time-varying analysis.

The research tested prediction about the role of temperament and self-control in early substance use (tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana). A sample of 1,526 participants was assessed in 6th grade (mean age=11.5 yrs) and followed with yearly assessments through 9th grade. Latent growth models showed temperament dimensions were related to early substance use, and their effects were mediated through generalized self-control ability. Time-varying effects indicated rate of growth in substance use was higher among participants who showed increases in poor self-control and lower among participants who showed increases in good self-control. Results in self-report data were corroborated by independent teacher ratings. Findings are discussed with reference to epigenetic models of protection and vulnerability. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The influence of general identity disturbance on reports of lifetime substance use disorders and related outcomes among sexual minority adults with a history of substance use.

Previous research has shown that sexual minority (i.e., nonheterosexual) individuals report increased problematic substance use involvement, compared with their sexual majority counterparts. We hypothesize that feelings of an unstable sense of self (i.e., identity disturbance) may potentially drive problematic substance use. The purpose of the current study is to examine identity disturbance among sexual minorities as a potential explanatory mechanism of increased sexual minority lifetime rates of substance dependence. Measures of identity disturbance and three indicators of sexual orientation from lifetime female (n = 16,629) and male (n = 13,553) alcohol/illicit drug users in Wave 2 of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) were examined. Findings generally showed that the increased prevalence of alcohol dependence, illicit drug dependence, and combined alcohol/illicit drug dependence as well as a younger age of alcohol use initiation among sexual minority women was associated with elevated levels of identity disturbance. The results were consistent with a mediational role for identity disturbance in explaining the association between sexual minority status and substance dependence and were generally replicated among male sexual minority respondents. The current research suggests that identity disturbance, a predictor of substance use, may contribute to heightened risk for substance dependence among certain subgroups of sexual minority individuals. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Childhood abuse and mental health indicators among ethnically diverse lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults.

Objective: Prior research has established that lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people experience higher rates of childhood abuse than heterosexuals. However, there has been little research on the mental health impact of these experiences or how race/ethnicity might influence prevalence and mental health impact of childhood abuse in this population. The study's objective was to examine the relationships between race/ethnicity, childhood abuse, and mental health indicators in a national sample of LGB adults. Method: Participants were recruited via the Internet through snowball and targeted sampling methods. Six hundred and sixty-nine LGB adults, 21% of whom were people of color, participated in an online survey. Participants completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire–Short Form, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, the Patient Health Questionnaire Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale, the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Checklist–Civilian Version, and the Perceived Stress Scale–Short Form. Results: Latina/o and Asian American participants reported the highest levels of physical abuse (p     

Changes in tobacco use among adolescent smokers in substance abuse treatment.

Adolescents with substance use disorders (SUDs) smoke cigarettes more than youth in the general population. Little is known about changes in smoking patterns during and after outpatient SUD treatment. We examined whether receiving SUD treatment had a differential impact on cigarette smoking behaviors of mild (     

Burden of psychiatric morbidity among lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals in the California Quality of Life Survey.

In recent population-based surveys, minority sexual orientation has been identified as a potential risk indicator for psychiatric morbidity. However, methodological limitations in the studies to date have led to concerns that current estimates are biased due to inadequate measurement of sexual orientation and uncontrolled confounding from prevalent HIV infection. In the present study, the authors investigate associations between sexual orientation and mental health/substance use morbidity using information obtained from 2,272 individuals, including 652 sexual orientation minorities, age 18 to 72 years, interviewed in the California Quality of Life Survey. Results confirm that minority sexual orientation is a risk indicator for psychiatric morbidity. However, levels of increased risk vary within this subpopulation by both gender and patterns of sexual orientation expression. Among gay/bisexual men, much of this greater burden is related to concurrent HIV infection. Reducing excess mental health morbidity risk among sexual orientation minorities could result in possibly a 5% to 11% reduction in the burden of the disorders assessed here among the adult population. Sexual orientation represents an important, but relatively understudied, individual characteristic shaping risk for psychiatric morbidity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Anger expression and adaptation to childhood sexual abuse: The role of disclosure.

Previous research on anger and childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is largely cross-sectional and retrospective. In this study, we prospectively examined the consequences of expressing anger among sexually abused women in contexts of either voluntarily disclosing or not disclosing a previous abuse episode (n = 94). All CSA survivors in the study had documented histories of CSA. These participants and a matched, nonabused sample were asked to describe their most distressing experience while being videotaped to allow coding of anger expression. Approximately two thirds of the CSA survivors voluntarily disclosed a previous abuse experience. Participants completed measures of internalizing symptoms and externalizing symptoms at the time of disclosure and again two years later. The expression of anger was associated with better long-term adjustment (decreased internalizing and externalizing symptoms), but only among CSA survivors who had expressed anger while not disclosing an abuse experience. For CSA survivors who disclosed an abuse experience and for nonabused women, anger expression was unrelated to long-term outcome. These findings suggest that the benefits of anger expression for CSA survivors may be context specific. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gay-related stress and emotional distress among gay, lesbian and bisexual youths: A longitudinal examination.

The longitudinal relations between gay-related stress (i.e., gay-related stressful events, negative attitudes toward homosexuality, and discomfort with homosexuality) and emotional distress (i.e., anxious symptoms, depressive symptoms, and conduct problems) were examined at 3 assessment periods (baseline, 6 months, and 12 months) among 140 gay, lesbian, and bisexual (GLB) youths. Although some findings were consistent with the hypothesis that stress would be associated with subsequent distress among GLB youths, the larger number of nonsignificant relations and the presence of relations between distress and subsequent gay-related stress indicate that the hypothesis was unsupported. The authors discuss the potential reasons for the lack of hypothesized relations and offer suggestions for future research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Moderators of the relation between substance use level and problems: Test of a self-regulation model in middle adolescence.

The authors tested predictions, derived from a self-regulation model, about variables moderating the relationship between level of substance use (tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana) and problems associated with use. Data were from two independent studies of adolescents, with mean ages of 15.4 and 15.5 years (Ns=1,699 and 1,225). Factor analysis indicated correlated dimensions of control problems and conduct problems. Protective moderation was found for variables indexing good self-control; risk-enhancing moderation was found for variables indexing poor self-control. These effects were generally independent of deviance-prone attitudes and externalizing symptomatology. Multiple-group structural modeling indicated moderation occurred for paths from life stress and coping motives and for paths from level to control and conduct problems. Moderation effects were also found for parental variables, peer variables, and academic competence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Mental health and substance use disorders among Latino and Asian American lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults.

Growing evidence suggests that lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults may be at elevated risk for mental health and substance use disorders, possibly due to anti-gay stigma. Little of this work has examined putative excess morbidity among ethnic/racial minorities resulting from the experience of multiple sources of discrimination. The authors report findings from the National Latino and Asian American Survey (NLAAS), a national household probability psychiatric survey of 4,488 Latino and Asian American adults. Approximately 4.8% of persons interviewed identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and/or reported recent same-gender sexual experiences. Although few sexual orientation-related differences were observed, among men, gay/bisexual men were more likely than heterosexual men to report a recent suicide attempt. Among women, lesbian/bisexual women were more likely than heterosexual women to evidence positive 1-year and lifetime histories of depressive disorders. These findings suggest a small elevation in psychiatric morbidity risk among Latino and Asian American individuals with a minority sexual orientation. However, the level of morbidity among sexual orientation minorities in the NLAAS appears similar to or lower than that observed in population-based studies of lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ego identity, social anxiety, social support, and self-concealment in lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals.

This study examined a model in which the relationship between social anxiety and two dimensions of ego identity (commitment and exploration) was expected to be mediated by social support and self-concealment for a sample of lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals (N=347). Statistically significant paths were found from social anxiety to social support and self-concealment. Statistically significant paths were also found from social support to commitment, exploration, and self-concealment. There were no significant paths from social anxiety to commitment or exploration. Structural equation analyses and bootstrap procedures revealed support for the potential mediational role of social support in the association between social anxiety and the two dimensions of ego identity as well as in the link between social anxiety and self-concealment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Prevalence of mental disorders, psychological distress, and mental services use among lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults in the United States.

Recent estimates of mental health morbidity among adults reporting same-gender sexual partners suggest that lesbians, gay men, and bisexual individuals may experience excess risk for some mental disorders as compared with heterosexual individuals. However, sexual orientation has not been measured directly. Using data from a nationally representative survey of 2,917 midlife adults, the authors examined possible sexual orientation-related differences in morbidity, distress, and mental health services use. Results indicate that gay-bisexual men evidenced higher prevalence of depression, panic attacks, and psychological distress than heterosexual men. Lesbian-bisexual women showed greater prevalence of generalized anxiety disorder than heterosexual women. Services use was more frequent among those of minority sexual orientation. Findings support the existence of sexual orientation differences in patterns of morbidity and treatment use. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The relationship between prior sexual abuse and reactions to sexual harrassment: Literature review and empirical study.

This article examines whether individuals who have had prior sexual abuse experiences, including sexual harassment (SH) and child sexual abuse, are hypersensitive to potential SH-related stimuli or overreact to social sexual experiences. Some psychologists and legal scholars suggest that previous sexual abuse or exposure to violence against women produces altered perceptions of current interactions and situations in those women. The review of the extant empirical literature examining such relationships and the findings presented here in an interrelated set of 5 studies provide little general or consistent support for a relationship between prior abuse experiences and current perceptions about SH. Caution is advised in judging either the veracity of an SH complaint or the objectivity of a potential juror's reaction to such a claim on the basis of her prior sexual abuse experiences. The literature review and empirical study lend weight to the irrelevance of such inquiries in judging credibility of SH complainants. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Understanding the unprotected sexual behaviors of gay, lesbian, and bisexual youths: An empirical test of the cognitive-environmental model.

The cognitive-environmental model (CEM; M. Fishbein et al, 1991) was used to understand the unprotected sexual behaviors of 156 gay, lesbian, and bisexual youths. Unprotected anal sex among the males was associated directly with poor protection skills (e.g., incorrect use of barrier methods, such as condoms), poor intentions to use barrier methods, and poor norms by sexual partners concerning barrier methods. Furthermore, the association between low self-efficacy and increasing unprotected anal sex was attributed to poor intentions. Direct associations of unprotected oral sex with poor intentions and poor partner norms also emerged, as did an indirect relation between unprotected oral sex and low self-efficacy via poor intentions. These last 3 findings were replicated when examining unprotected oral or vaginal-digital sex among the females. Relations among the CEM factors supported some CEM-theoretical propositions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)