Current Intimate Relationship Status, Depression, and Alcohol Use Among Bisexual Women: The Mediating Roles of Bisexual-Specific Minority Stressors

Abstract

Current intimate relationship characteristics, including gender and number of partner(s), may affect one's visibility as a bisexual individual and the minority stressors they experience, which may in turn influence their health. The current study tested four hypotheses: 1) minority stressors vary by current intimate relationship status; 2) higher minority stressors are associated with higher depressive symptoms and alcohol-related outcomes; 3) depressive symptoms and alcohol-related outcomes vary by current intimate relationship status; and 4) minority stressors will mediate differences in these outcomes. Participants included 470 self-identified bisexual women (65% Caucasian, mean age: 21) from a sample of sexual minority women recruited from different geographic regions in the United States through advertisements on social networking sites and Craigslist. Participants completed a 45 minute survey. Respondents with single partners were first grouped by partner gender (male partner: n=282; female partner: n=56). Second, women were grouped by partner gender/number (single female/male partner: n = 338; women with multiple female and male partners: n=132). Women with single male partners and women with multiple male and female partners exhibited elevated experienced bi-negativity and differences in outness (H1). Experienced and internalized bi-negativity were associated with health outcomes, but not outness (H2). Differences in outcomes emerged by partner number and partner number/gender (H3); these differences were mediated by experienced bi-negativity (H4). These results suggest that experiences of discrimination may underlie differences in health related to bisexual women's relationship structure and highlight the importance of evaluating women's relational context as well as sexual identification in understanding health risk behaviors.

Non-offending Pedophiles

“…Given what is known about the effects of stigma in sexual minorities [31], we anticipate that the experience of stigma will be associated with problematic outcomes such as alcohol use [54,55] and maladaptive forms of coping (e.g., suppressive or reactive coping; [56]). Because stigmatized statuses confer risk for mental health problems, such as anxiety, depression, alcohol use, and polysubstance abuse [31], future research should assess for elevated rates of these mental health concerns in non-offending pedophiles and whether experiences of stigma are associated with greater symptomatology.…”

Bisexuality, Minority Stress, and Health

“…Additionally, the gender of a person’s partner is often used to infer their sexual orientation, further making bisexual individuals in monogamous relationships invisible as bisexual (47, 48). The gender of a person’s partner can also lead to unique experiences related to minority stress and mental health (46, 49). For instance, bisexual women with female partners are often assumed to be lesbians (even despite explicit disclosure of their bisexual identity), and these assumptions are associated with questioning the validity of one’s bisexuality and whether or not the label bisexual accurately describes one’s sexual orientation (referred to as sexual identity uncertainty) (46).…”

“…For instance, bisexual women with female partners are often assumed to be lesbians (even despite explicit disclosure of their bisexual identity), and these assumptions are associated with questioning the validity of one’s bisexuality and whether or not the label bisexual accurately describes one’s sexual orientation (referred to as sexual identity uncertainty) (46). There is also some evidence that bisexual women with male partners report more frequent experience of binegativity compared to those with female partners, which in turn is associated with depression and alcohol use problems (46, 49). Qualitative data indicate that these experiences of bisexual identity erasure and feelings of invisibility in monogamous relationships are perceived as stressful and related to mental health problems (32).…”

Risky sex behaviours among college students: The psychosocial profile

“…While gay/lesbian and bisexual females were more likely to report early sexual initiation, only bisexual women were more likely to report multiple lifetime partners (Oswalt & Wyatt, ) and risky other contraception use. Research with a community sample of bisexual women indicates that experiences of discrimination may underlie differences in health related to bisexual women's relationship structure and stresses the importance of evaluating women's relational context alongside sexual identification when researching health risk behaviours (Molina et al, ). Men identifying as gay were more likely to report multiple lifetime partners and risky condom use.…”