title: Mental health disorders in young urban sexual minority men.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Very few studies have examined mental disorders among male sexual minority youth. We describe demographic correlates, comorbidity, and history of mental disorders and suicidality in a large sample of male sexual minority youth.
  
  
  METHODS
  Structured diagnostic interviews were conducted with 449 racially diverse urban sexual minority males, aged 16-20 years, who were recruited using a social network-driven sampling methodology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Lifetime major depressive episode (MDE) affected 33.2% of the youth. Lifetime conduct disorder (23.6%), alcohol abuse/dependence (19.6%), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD; 16.0%), and nicotine dependence (10.7%) were also common. Black participants were less likely than white participants to be diagnosed with lifetime MDE, alcohol abuse/dependence, nicotine dependence, suicidal ideation, and anorexia, as well as past 12-month alcohol abuse/dependence (odds ratios [ORs] range from .08 to .46). Relative to participants identifying as gay, bisexual identified youth were at higher risk for lifetime PTSD (OR = 2.04), and participants who did not identify as gay or bisexual were at higher risk for both lifetime and past 12-month nicotine dependence (OR = 4.36 and 3.46, respectively). Most participants with mental disorders never received treatment, and comorbidity was common.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MDE, conduct disorder, alcohol abuse/dependence, PTSD, and nicotine dependence are common and infrequently treated in young sexual minority men. Some within-group disparities emerged, suggesting that factors related to racial background and self-identification may help to understand resilience to the unique stressors experienced by these young men.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Center for Behavioral Intervention Technologies (CBITs), Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois. Electronic address: mnburns@northwestern.edu.
authors.forename: Michelle Nicole
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois.
authors.forename: Daniel T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Ryan
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois; Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois; Department of Academic General Pediatrics and Primary Care (Adolescent Medicine), Center for Gender, Sexuality and HIV Prevention, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Garofalo
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois.
authors.forename: Michael E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Newcomb
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mustanski
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001727:Bisexuality / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002641:Chicago / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological / Q000379:methods; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D008913:Minority Groups / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Adolescents, male; Age of onset; Comorbidity; Frequency; Homosexuality, male; Mental disorders; Minority health; Young adult