The rural side of the rainbow: Mental health and the intersections of geography, sexuality, and partnership

• Published in: The Canadian review of sociology 2024-05, Vol.61 (2), p.131-152
• Main Author: Stackhouse, Matthew
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bisexuality; Community health; Disadvantaged; Gays & lesbians; Geography; Health risks; Health status; Health surveys; Heterosexuality; Homosexuality; Lesbianism; Mental health; Metropolitan areas; Rural areas; Rural communities; Sexual orientation; Sexuality; Urban population; Well being
• ISSN: 1755-6171; 1755-618X
• DOI: 10.1111/cars.12470

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) persons tend to be geographically concentrated in larger metropolitan areas and research persistently observes LGB persons as a disadvantaged population for mental health outcomes when compared to their heterosexual counterparts. Conflicting evidence suggests that mental health risk exposures are greater for LGB people in rural spaces while other research posits that urban residency is more detrimental for LGB mental health. One positively contributing factor to the mental well‐being of LGB persons is their partnership status. To date, no study estimates how partnership may ameliorate unfavourable mental health outcomes for LGB populations in urban and rural areas. Using 10 years of pooled data from the nationally representative Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS), this study examines mental health and the intersection of sexuality, geographic residency, and partnership. Logistic regression models estimate the intersections of sexuality, geography, and partnership status on mental health, stratified by respondents’ gender. Findings show partnered gay men in rural areas experiencing better mental health than their partnered heterosexual counterparts in the largest urban cities. Although not significant, the same pattern is observed for partnered lesbian women who do not experience a significant mental health disadvantage at any geographic level. Regardless of partnership and geographic space, bisexual men, and especially bisexual women, exhibit worse mental health outcomes compared to their heterosexual counterparts. French Les lesbiennes, les gays et les bisexuels (LGB) tendent à se concentrer géographiquement dans les grandes zones métropolitaines et la recherche observe que les LGB sont une population défavorisée en termes de santé mentale par rapport à leurs homologues hétérosexuels. Des données contradictoires suggèrent que les risques pour la santé mentale sont plus importants pour les personnes LGB dans les espaces ruraux, tandis que d'autres recherches affirment que la résidence urbaine est plus préjudiciable à la santé mentale des LGB. L'un des facteurs contribuant positivement au bien‐être mental des personnes LGB est leur statut de partenaire. À ce jour, aucune étude ne permet d'examiner comment le partenariat peut améliorer les résultats défavorables en matière de santé mentale pour les populations LGB dans les zones urbaines et rurales. En utilisant dix ans de données regroupées de l'Enquête sur la santé dan