Perceived determinants of mental health for bisexual people: a qualitative examination.
OBJECTIVE
We examined the determinants of mental health, as perceived by bisexual people, in order to begin understanding the disparities in the rates of mental health problems reported by bisexual people versus those reported by heterosexual people, and, in many studies, gay men and lesbians.


METHODS
Our community-based participatory action research project comprised focus groups and semistructured interviews with 55 bisexual people across the province of Ontario, Canada.


RESULTS
Perceived determinants of emotional well-being identified by participants could be classified as macrolevel (social structure), mesolevel (interpersonal), or microlevel (individual). In the context of this framework, monosexism and biphobia were perceived to exert a broad-reaching impact on participants' mental health.


CONCLUSIONS
Like other marginalized populations, bisexual people perceive experiences of discrimination as important determinants of mental health problems. Additional research is required to examine the relationships between these perceived determinants of emotional well-being and specific mental health outcomes and to guide interventions, advocacy, and support for bisexual people.
Ross
Lori E
LE
Social Equity & Health Research Section, Centre for Addiction & Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 2G8. l.ross@utoronto.ca
Dobinson
Cheryl
C
Eady
Allison
A
D001294:Attitude to Health; D001727:Bisexuality / Q000523:psychology*; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008913:Minority Groups / Q000523:psychology; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009864:Ontario; D011287:Prejudice; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012919:Social Behavior; D012944:Social Support; D013240:Stereotyping; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014189:Transsexualism / Q000523:psychology