Mental health and substance use disparities among urban adolescent lesbian and bisexual girls.
BACKGROUND
Sexual minority girls (SMGs) report large substance use disparities and victimization experiences, yet there is a dearth of research that focuses exclusively on SMGs.


OBJECTIVE
To examine substance use and mental health disparities among SMGs and to determine whether disparities were larger for African American compared with European American girls.


METHODS
Data were used from Wave 11 of the Pittsburgh Girls Study, a multiple-cohort, prospective study of urban girls. Girls for the current analysis were aged 16 to 19 years. Fifty-five percent were African American. One hundred and seventy-three (8.3%) identified as SMGs, and 1,891 identified as heterosexual. Multiple regression analyses controlling for age, race, and parent education were conducted.


RESULTS
SMGs reported a robust pattern of large disparities in externalizing, internalizing, and borderline personality disorder symptoms. There was little evidence to suggest disparities were moderated by race.


CONCLUSIONS
SMGs and their families would benefit from intervention and prevention programs to reduce disparities among this highly vulnerable population.
Michael P. Marshal, PhD, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Michael P
MP
Marshal
Sarah S
SS
Dermody
Michelle L
ML
Shultz
Gina S
GS
Sucato
Stephanie D
SD
Stepp
Tammy
T
Chung
Chad M
CM
Burton
Nina
N
Markovic
Alison E
AE
Hipwell
D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D001727:Bisexuality / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology*; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000208:ethnology / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D018452:Homosexuality, Female / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology; D010414:Pennsylvania; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology; D014505:Urban Population; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
adolescent girls; intersectionality; mental health; sexual orientation; substance use