Exploring different profiles of gender (non)conformity in women and their relationship with sexual orientation and mental health

Abstract

We examined whether sexual orientation and the Conformity to Feminine Norms (CFN) were predictors of three mental health outcomes: depression, anxiety, and self-esteem. The sample comprised 690 women with different sexual orientations (heterosexual, lesbian and bisexual). Our results suggested that there were five CFN profiles related to sexual orientation, but only the former was a significant predictor of the three mental health outcomes and that women might experience different forms of CFN which in turn can differentially influence women’s mental health.