2 - (SYM 63) Bi+ People's Experiences of Discrimination and Mental Health: The Roles of Social Support and Community Connectedness

Bisexual, pansexual, and queer (bi+) individuals are the largest LGBTQ+ subpopulation (Gallup, 2021). They are at elevated risk of adverse mental health outcomes compared to both heterosexual and lesbian/gay (LG) people (Feinstein & Dyar, 2017), in part because they experience discrimination from both groups. Connection to the LGBTQ+ community is protective for many LGBTQ+ people, even beyond general (non-LGBTQ+) social support. Given that bi+ people experience discrimination from LG people, connection to other bi+ people in particular may be helpful. However, it is unknown if general social support (SS) and bi+ community connectedness (CC) are protective for bi+ people. To address this, we examined the relationships between discrimination from heterosexual and LG people and internalizing outcomes (depression and suicidal ideation [SI]), and the moderating roles of SS and CC. 

Participants (N = 502; Mage = 28.57) completed online surveys at baseline (T1) and 6-months (T2). Most identified as bisexual (49%), followed by queer (31%), and pansexual or fluid (20%). The sample included 41% transgender/nonbinary people, 31% cisgender women, and 28% cisgender men; 45% of participants were BIPOC. 

Higher SS was associated with lower T1 depression (b = -.18, p < .05) and SI (b = -.03, p < .05) but associations with T2 outcomes (controlling for T1) were not significant. CC was not associated with depression or SI at either time. Contrary to expectations, more frequent LG discrimination was associated with lower SI at T1 (b = -.19; p < .05) although not at T2. LG discrimination was not associated with depression and heterosexual discrimination was not associated with depression or SI. SS moderated the association between LG discrimination and T1 depression (b = .14; p < .05); more frequent LG discrimination was associated with lower depression, but only at low levels (-1SD) of SS (b = -.93; p < .05). None of the other moderation effects were significant. 

Findings highlight the benefits of SS, while raising questions about the role of CC in bi+ people’s mental health. To our surprise, more frequent LG discrimination was associated with lower SI/depression. A potential explanation for this unexpected finding is that bi+ people who experience LG discrimination likely have more contact with LGBTQ+ people, which may also provide benefits. Given limited research on the bi+ community, future research should explore if/how bi+ people benefit from connection to other bi+ people, which may aid in identifying pathways to resilience in this growing, health disparity population.