Comparing Lesbians' and Heterosexual Women's Mental Health: A Multi-Site Survey

Abstract

Despite increased awareness of, and interest in, the health status of lesbians over the past two decades, many gaps remain in our knowledge of lesbians' mental health. Much of the existing research on lesbian health has been conducted with small, homogenous samples and few studies have included comparison groups of heterosexual women. This paper presents descriptive data from a study of lesbian health conducted in Chicago, Minneapolis/St. Paul, and New York City between 1994-1996. The data presented here focus on several important indicators of mental health from 550 lesbians and a demographically matched comparison group of 279 heterosexual women. Similarities and differences based on sexual orientation are described and findings are discussed in relation to other relevant studies.

Key Words:

• Lesbian health
• mental health
• depression
• alcohol use
• physical abuse
• sexual abuse
• therapy
• counseling