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Abstract #149524

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Margaret Rosario, PhD, Department of Psychology, The City University of New York - City College and Graduate Center, Convent Avenue and 138th Street, NAC Building 7-120, New York, NY 10031, 212-650-5420, mr37@earthlink.net, Eric W. Schrimshaw, MA (PhD cand), Doctoral Program in Psychology, The City University of New York - Graduate Center, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016, and Joyce Hunter, DSW, HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies, New York State Psychiatric Institute, 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10032.

Recent research has suggested that the sexual identity development (SID) of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) youths may not follow a single pattern, but follow a variety of pathways. However, unexamined is whether variability in SID has implications for understanding which LGB youth are at risk for poor mental health. Method: This report longitudinally examined these issues in an ethnically diverse sample of 156 LGB youths (ages 14-21, 49% female) in New York City followed over one year. Questionnaires assessed self-esteem, psychological distress, and SID (i.e., involvement in gay-related social activities, attitudes toward homosexuality, comfort with others knowing about one's sexuality, and disclosure to others). Results: Cluster analytic techniques identified subgroups of youth who varied on SID over time. These SID patters were characterized by youth who were consistently low, middling, or high, as well as those who transitioned from middling to high over time. Multivariate comparisons of these four SID groups revealed differences on several indicators of mental health. For example, youth with a consistently high SID reported increased self-esteem (beta = .53) and decreased symptoms of anxiety, depression, and conduct problems over time (beta = -.83, -.52, -.56, respectively), after controlling for sex, sexual identity as LG v. B, and social desirability. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that LGB youth have different patterns of SID and that these different developmental pathways have implications for the mental health of LGB youth. The findings suggest that certain groups of LGB youths may be in greater need of mental health services.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand that sexual identity development of LGB youths followed various developmental patterns.
• Describe the role these different identity development patterns have for the mental health of LGB youths
• Suggest potential groups of LGB youths who may be at greatest need for mental health services.
• Underscore and show why all LGB youths do not have poor mental health.

Keywords: Mental Health, Lesbian

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No
Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission?

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

• Slides (pdf) or Handout