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Evaluation ViewAttendees 6

LGBTQ+
Symposia

Symposium 107 - Understanding the unmet mental health needs of bisexual, pansexual, and queer (bi+) youth and adults

Saturday, November 16, 2024
4:30 PM – 6:00 PM EST
Location: Franklin 8, Level 4, Downtown Marriott
CE: 1.5

Keywords: LGBTQ+, Mental Health Disparities,
Level of Familiarity: All
Recommended Readings: Feinstein, B. A., & Dyar, C. (2017). Bisexuality, minority stress, and health. Current Sexual Health Reports, 9(1), 42–49. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11930-017-0096-3,   Ross, L. E., Salway, T., Tarasoff, L. A., MacKay, J. M., Hawkins, B. W., & Fehr, C. P. (2018). Prevalence of depression and anxiety among bisexual people compared to gay, lesbian, and heterosexual individuals: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Sex Research, 55(4-5), 435–456. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2017.1387755,   Friedman, M. R., Dodge, B., Schick, V., Herbenick, D., Hubach, R., Bowling, J., Goncalves, G., Krier, S., & Reece, M. (2014). From bias to bisexual health disparities: Attitudes toward bisexual men and women in the United States. LGBT Health, 1(4), 309–318. https://doi.org/10.1089/lgbt.2014.0005,   ,  

Bisexual, pansexual, and queer (bi+) individuals are at increased risk for negative mental health outcomes compared to both heterosexual and gay/lesbian individuals. These disparities are related to the unique stressors they experience (e.g., being stereotyped as confused about one’s sexuality) and discrimination from both heterosexual and gay/lesbian people. Despite this, bi+ individuals are rarely the focus of empirical investigation and little is known about the unique experiences that influence their identity development and mental health.

In line with the convention theme, this symposium will showcase diverse methods used to advance our understanding of the mental health needs of bi+ youth and adults, and to inform cognitive and behavioral therapies with this underserved population. By integrating qualitative, longitudinal, and meta-analytic methods, along with lived experience, this symposium will provide novel insights into the social determinants of mental health among bi+ people, and targets for interventions to promote positive identity development and wellbeing in this population. 

The first presenter will share a qualitative analysis of interviews with diverse bi+ male youth focused on their responses to discrimination. They will highlight the range of intrapersonal consequences of anti-bisexual discrimination (e.g., questioning one’s multi-gender attractions), coping strategies used (e.g., concealing one’s identity, minimizing one’s experiences), and their implications during this sensitive developmental period. The second presenter will use longitudinal data to demonstrate that experiencing unique bi+ microaggressions, especially ones that communicate that bisexuality is an unstable sexual orientation, is associated with negative identity-related outcomes (e.g., increases in internalized and anticipated stigma). The third presenter will discuss a quantitative synthesis of the literature on anti-bisexual discrimination and mental health, demonstrating that discrimination from heterosexual people is more strongly associated with depression, anxiety, and distress than is discrimination from gay/lesbian people. Last, while prior research has found that romantic relationship involvement is associated with poorer mental health for bi+ individuals, the fourth presenter will highlight the importance of accounting for the quality of one’s relationship (e.g., support, conflict). 

In sum, this symposium will demonstrate how diverse methods can be leveraged to understand and address bi+ stigma and its consequences for mental health and identity development. The discussant is a nationally recognized expert on bi+ health with extensive experience in community-engaged public health practice. They will discuss how the findings can be used to inform community-driven, multi-level interventions to improve the mental health of bi+ youth and adults. Given the lack of evidence-based mental health interventions specifically for bi+ individuals, this symposium will fill a critical gap in clinical training by raising awareness of the unique challenges facing bi+ individuals and what clinicians and researchers can do to address the unmet mental health needs of this underserved population.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this session, the learner will be able to:
  1. Identify the unique stressors facing bi+ people across the lifespan.
  2. Describe the range of strategies bi+ people use to cope with identity-related stressors.
  3. Describe how discrimination from heterosexual versus lesbian/gay people influences bi+ people’s mental health and identity-related outcomes.
  4. Explain how findings from research on lesbian/gay individuals do not always generalize to bi+ individuals.
  5. Explain the need for community-driven, multi-level interventions to improve the mental health of bi+ youth and adults.

Presentations:

  • 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM EST
    (SYM 107) A Qualitative Analysis of Responses to Discrimination Among Bisexual, Pansexual, and Queer Male Youth

    Speaker: Isabel K. Benjamin, B.A. – Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science

    Co-author: Izhani Rosa, M.S. (she/her/hers) – Northern Arizona University

    Co-author: Brian Feinstein, Ph.D. (he/him/his) – Rosalind Franklin University

  • 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM EST
    (SYM 107) Variation in Effects of Bi+ Microaggressions on Aspects of Bi+ Identity Based on Microaggression Content and Perpetrator

    Speaker: Christina Dyar, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) – The Ohio State University

  • 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM EST
    (SYM 107) Associations Between Anti-bisexual Discrimination from Heterosexual versus Lesbian/gay Sources and Depression, Anxiety, and Psychological Distress: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

    Speaker: Kimberly S. Sain, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) – Anxiety Disorders Center, The Institute of Living

    Co-author: Eric Manalastas, PhD (he/him/his) – Visible Analytics

    Co-author: Kimberly S. Sain, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) – Anxiety Disorders Center, The Institute of Living

    Co-author: Helena Blumenau, BA (she/her/hers) – University of Kansas Medical Center

    Co-author: Benjamin W. Katz, M.S. (they/them/theirs) – University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

    Co-author: Brian Feinstein, Ph.D. (he/him/his) – Rosalind Franklin University

  • 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM EST
    (SYM 107) The Roles of Romantic Relationship Involvement and Quality in Depression and Suicidal Ideation Among Bisexual Young Women

    Speaker: Kate Dorrell, B.S. (she/her/hers) – Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science

    Co-author: Kate Keenan, PhD – University of Chicago

    Co-author: Alison Hipwell, Ph.D., Psy.D. – University of Pittsburgh

    Co-author: Stephanie Stepp, PhD (she/her/hers) – University of Pittsburgh

    Co-author: Brian Feinstein, Ph.D. (he/him/his) – Rosalind Franklin University