title: Poorer mental health in UK bisexual women than lesbians: evidence from the UK 2007 Stonewall Women's Health Survey.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Bisexual- and lesbian-identified women have significantly worse mental health than heterosexual women. Less evidence exists about mental health differences between lesbian and bisexual women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Self-completion survey with community-based, opportunistic sampling recruited 937 bisexual-identified and 4769 lesbian-identified women. Associations between sexual identity and mental health indicators were assessed by logistic regression, controlling for age, income, student status and employment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  As a group, bisexual women were younger, poorer, and more likely to be trans-identified, minority ethnic identified and to use marijuana, compared with lesbians. Bisexuals were more likely than lesbians to report eating problems (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.64, P < 0.001), self-harm (AOR = 1.37, P = 0.001), depressed feelings (AOR = 1.26, P = 0.022) and anxiety (AOR = 1.20, P = 0.037). Fewer bisexual women attended lesbian or bisexual social events, were 'out', or had experienced any sexuality-related discrimination, compared with lesbians.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  More bisexual women reported poor mental health or psychological distress than did lesbians. Bisexual women may be more likely to experience social stress due to the 'double discrimination' of homophobia and biphobia. This stress, experienced mainly as internalized and felt stigma, could result in greater risk for poor mental health compared with lesbians. Addressing both biphobia and homophobia within UK society has important preventative mental health implications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social and Environmental Health Research, Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London WC1H 9SH, UK.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Colledge
authors.affiliation: Department of Social and Environmental Health Research, Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London WC1H 9SH, UK.
authors.forename: Ford
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hickson
authors.affiliation: Department of Social and Environmental Health Research, Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London WC1H 9SH, UK.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Reid
authors.affiliation: Department of Social and Environmental Health Research, Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London WC1H 9SH, UK.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Weatherburn
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001727:Bisexuality / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D018452:Homosexuality, Female / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008603:Mental Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology; D059020:Suicidal Ideation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: UK; bisexual; lesbian; mental health; women