Mental health of the non-heterosexual population ofEngland

• Published in: British journal of psychiatry 2011-02, Vol.198 (2), p.143-148
• Main Authors: Chakraborty Apu, McManus, Sally, Brugha, Terry S, Bebbington, Paul, King, Michael
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alcohol use; Bisexuality; Community health care; Discrimination; Drug dependence; Family physicians; Gays & lesbians; Health problems; Households; Mental depression; Mental disorders; Mental health; Mental health professionals; Morbidity; Neurosis; Obsessive compulsive disorder; Psychiatric morbidity; Psychiatry; Psychosis; Self injury; Sexual behavior; Sexual orientation; Suicidal ideation; Suicide; Systematic review
• ISSN: 0007-1250; 1472-1465
• DOI: 10.1192/bjp.bp.110.082271

BackgroundThere has been little research into the prevalence of mental healthproblems in lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people in the UK with mostwork conducted in the USA.AimsTo relate the prevalence of mental disorder, self-harm and suicideattempts to sexual orientation in England, and to test whetherpsychiatric problems were associated with discrimination on grounds ofsexuality.MethodThe Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey 2007 (n = 7403)was representative of the population living in private UK households.Standardised questions provided demographic information. Neuroticsymptoms, common mental disorders, probable psychosis, suicidality,alcohol and drug dependence and service utilisation were assessed. Inaddition, detailed information was obtained about aspects of sexualidentity and perceived discrimination on these grounds.ResultsSelf-reported identification as non-heterosexual (determined by bothorientation and sexual partnership, separately) was associated withunhappiness, neurotic disorders overall, depressive episodes, generalisedanxiety disorder, obsessive–compulsive disorder, phobic disorder,probable psychosis, suicidal thoughts and acts, self-harm and alcohol anddrug dependence. Mental health-related general practitioner consultationsand community care service use over the previous year were also elevated.In the non-heterosexual group, discrimination on the grounds of sexualorientation predicted certain neurotic disorder outcomes, even afteradjustment for potentially confounding demographic variables.ConclusionsThis study corroborates international findings that people ofnon-heterosexual orientation report elevated levels of mental healthproblems and service usage, and it lends further support to thesuggestion that perceived discrimination may act as a social stressor inthe genesis of mental health problems in this population.