Patterns of sexual identity development among lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth: Implications for mental health over time

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.