Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #112686

Brian Dodge, PhD, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Public Health Programs, 101 S Newell Drive, HPNP Room 4179, Gainesville, FL 32610, 352-273-6086, bdodge@phhp.ufl.edu and Theo Sandfort, PhD, HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies, Columbia University/New York State Psychiatric Institute, 1051 Riverside Drive, Unit 15, New York, NY 10032.

Mental health among bisexual individuals has been largely ignored in previous scientific research, even within studies that examine relationships between sexual orientation and mental health. Most previous studies of mental health among "lesbian, gay, and bisexual" populations have failed to distinguish bisexual individuals from lesbians and gay men. However, recent evidence suggests that both behaviorally and self-identified bisexual individuals may be exposed to more stressors and may have more mental health problems than lesbians or gay men. In this session, we provide an overview of studies which have explored mental health among bisexual individuals separately from and compared with homosexual and heterosexual individuals. This research seems to indicate a pattern whereby bisexuals have reported significantly higher rates of mental health problems when compared with both homosexuals and heterosexuals, including depression, anxiety, suicidality, and substance use and abuse. We propose preliminary hypotheses that may assist in explaining these findings. Last, we offer new directions for clinical and research practice specifically with bisexual individuals in order to better understand and address their mental health needs.

Learning Objectives: Upon completion, participants in this session may

• discover that research on mental health among behavioral and self-identified bisexual individuals has been largely absent from previous scientific literature, even within studies that examine relationships of sexual orientation and identity with mental health.
• review findings from studies that have examined bisexual women and men separately from and compared with homosexual and heterosexual individuals in regards to depression, anxiety, suicidality, and substance use and abuse, in which bisexual individuals have reported higher rates of mental health problems when compared with both homosexuals and heterosexuals.
• become exposed to innovative preliminary hypotheses that may assist in explaining elevated levels of mental health problems among bisexual individuals (including "biphobia").
• explore new directions for researchers and clinicians who work specifically with bisexual individuals and other sexual minority populations.

Keywords: Sexuality, Mental Health

Related Web page: www.hivcenternyc.org/people/briandodge.html

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.