Relationships Between Social Support, Identity, Anxiety, and Depression Among Young Bisexual People of Color

Abstract

Bisexual People of Color (POC) may experience greater barriers in connecting to social support compared to White sexual minority people and heterosexual racial or ethnic minority people due to multiple intersecting experiences of marginalization. Social support may be positively related to bisexual identity experience and mental health. We investigated the relationships between different types of social support, bisexual identity experience, and anxiety and depression amongst a sample of young bisexual POC. We conducted a survey with 178 bisexual people ages 18–25 who identified as either POC or with a racial or ethnic minority identity. Social support was related to lower reported rates of experienced binegativity, anxiety, and depressive symptoms, whereas greater connection to the Lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer (LGBTQ) community was related to higher rates of binegativity and bisexual identity affirmation. Amongst some participants, greater rates of binegativity were associated with worse depression and anxiety symptoms. The current findings support that young bisexual POC are able to effectively utilize positive sources of social support.

Keywords:

• Bisexuality
• racial/ethnic minority identity
• social support
• anxiety
• depression

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Corey E. Flanders

Corey Flanders is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Mount Holyoke College. Her research interests focus on issues of identity and health equity, particularly as they relate to the experiences of queer and trans people. She uses qualitative and quantitative approaches to understand how structural, community and individual factors may impact people’s health and other lived experiences.

Sarah A. Shuler

Sarah Shuler is psychology major and statistics minor at Mount Holyoke College. Her research interests focus on promoting positive mental health outcomes in African American communities, as well as promoting diversity among clinical psychologists.

Sophie A. Desnoyers

Sophie Desnoyers is an undergraduate psychology major at Mount Holyoke College. She is interested in the roles institutional barriers and community care and support play in accessing appropriate mental health care for people of color.

Nicole A. VanKim

Nicole VanKim is an Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her primary research area focuses on sexual orientation disparities in weight-related health, including nutrition, physical activity, weight status, and type 2 diabetes. A secondary research area explores mental health equity issues among diverse populations.