Bisexuals experience more LGBT anxiety: UK study
Bisexuals experience more LGBT anxiety as compared to those in their community, according to a study by the UK’s Office of National Statistics (ONS).
Overall, members of the LGBT community tend to rate their quality of life as lower compared to the UK average.
In the said study, British bisexual men and women were reportedly the most unhappy as compared to their straight counterparts with more 40 percent more likely to describe themselves this way.
On the other hand, gay and lesbian individuals interviewed for the study were 25 percent more likely to describe themselves this way.
Bisexuals experience more LGBT anxiety
Collectively, gays and lesbians reported 50 percent more likely to experience anxiety while bisexuals reported around 80 percent.
This is reportedly because bisexuals face discrimination both from society and from within the LGBT community.
“By publishing this analysis as Pride takes place around the world, we mark the celebration of equality and diversity by contributing to the debate around societal inequalities in regards to sexual identity,” said the ONS in a statement on their study.
The ONS interviewed 300,000 people over the age of 16. The interviews took place between January 2013 and December 2015.
According to their 2015 Annual Population Survey, there might be 920,000 people in the UK who identify as LGB, which is 1.7 percent of the population.
The same survey noted that London has the highest proportion of LGB-identifying population.
LGBT anxiety from discrimination
While the LGBT community constantly face anxiety and depression, it’s not always due to external factors as internalized homophobia and self-hatred are also contributors.
Likewise, multiple scientific publications have reported that the LGBT community constantly face mental stress over these anxieties, leading to mental disorders.
This is not surprising as research has proven that being under constant stress can develop anxiety disorders in a person.
With regard to bisexual anxiety, an earlier study from Columbia University reported almost 38% of bisexual males had never told anyone about their sexual identity. 80% said they kept their relationships with men to themselves.
This is because aside from facing discrimination from the mainstream, bisexuals feel that the LGBT community consider them as just going through a phase before becoming homosexuals.
“Anxiety is a phenomenon that occurs over a very short time domain,” said Doctor John O’Dea, an endocrinologist who specializes in the treatment of trans patients and women.
“I compare it to your watch. Depression is like the date on your watch. Anxiety is like the second hand,” he added.