News release

From: The Royal Society

Mapping the role of sexuality in adolescent mental health and substance use

Individuals who belong to a sexual minority are at greater risk of adverse health and social outcomes. This study employed network analysis on 8017 14-year-olds from the UK’s Millennium Cohort Study. Results show that the largest association in the network was between sexual minority status and depression, and this link mediated multiple negative associations with being in a sexual minority. Results also show that several adverse outcomes were indirectly related to sexual minority status, and that outcomes were heterogenous across sexual minority adolescence.

Sexuality and mental health – Researchers have mapped associations between teens who identify as belonging to a sexual minority, and adverse outcomes like depression and substance misuse. In a sample of 8,017 UK 14-year-olds, 490 identified as belonging to a sexual minority. The adverse outcomes most closely associated with this group was depression, and other associations like drinking and poor social supports were associated via this link. Interventions to reduce poor health and social outcomes may be most effective if targeted towards depression, say the authors.