Strong community belonging moderates poor mental health in lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals living in Canada: an intersectional analysis of a national population-based survey.

OBJECTIVES

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals report worse mental health than heterosexuals; however, this disparity may vary across intersecting social locations and be moderated by community belonging.

METHODS

We investigated these relationships using the Canadian Community Health Survey 2015-2016. Log-binomial regression models were used to estimate associations between self-rated mental health and social locations (sexual orientation, gender, race, immigration, education, income), community belonging, and interactions between explanatory variables.

RESULTS

Poor mental health was 1.79 (95%CI: 1.37-2.33) times higher in lesbian/gay individuals and 3.3 (95%CI: 2.89-3.76) times higher in bisexuals when compared to heterosexuals. LGB participants across all social locations reported poorer mental health as compared with heterosexuals, with bisexuals consistently displaying worse mental health. Strong community belonging modifies this relationship, reducing disparities across all sexual orientations and social locations.

CONCLUSION

The intersections of differing social locations and community belonging should be considered when addressing LGB Canadians' mental health needs.