Differences in the impacts of muscle dysmorphia symptoms on distress between heterosexual women and homo/bisexual women.

Muscle Dysmorphia (MD) and its psychological impacts on women, especially within sexual minorities, are still relatively understudied. The objective of this study was to compare the relationship of MD symptoms and psychological distress between heterosexual women and lesbian/bisexual women. Our sample consisted of 479 Brazilian cisgender women from the community, aged between 18 and 70 years (M = 32.78; SD = 10.45). Among them, 327 (68.27 %) identified as heterosexual, 134 (27.98 %) as bisexual, and 18 (3.76 %) as lesbian. To ensure there was no bias due to measurement error, the psychometric properties of the instruments in the sample were tested, and invariance between the groups was assessed. t-tests, structural equation modeling, and latent profile analyses were conducted to comprehend the differences between the groups. The results indicated significant differences and a greater severity of MD symptoms and distress for lesbian/bisexual women. The implications of these results are discussed, emphasizing the need for further exploration of MD studies within sexual minorities.

Differences in medically assisted reproduction use by sexual identity and partnership: a prospective cohort of cisgender women.

STUDY QUESTION: Does medically assisted reproduction (MAR) use among cisgender women differ among those with same-sex partners or lesbian/bisexual identities compared to peers with different-sex partners or heterosexual identities? SUMMARY ANSWER: Women with same-sex partners or lesbian/bisexual identities are more likely to utilize any MAR but are no more likely to use ART (i.e. IVF, reciprocal IVF, embryo transfer, unspecified ART, ICSI, and gamete or zygote intrafallopian transfer) compared to non-ART MAR (i.e. IUI, ovulation induction, and intravaginal or intracervical insemination) than their different-sex partnered and completely heterosexual peers. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: Sexual minority women (SMW) form families in myriad ways, including through fostering, adoption, genetic, and/or biological routes. Emerging evidence suggests this population increasingly wants to form genetic and/or biological families, yet little is known about their family formation processes and conception needs. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: The Growing Up Today Study is a US-based prospective cohort (n = 27 805). Participants were 9-17 years of age at enrollment (1996 and 2004). Biennial follow-up is ongoing, with data collected through 2021. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: Cisgender women who met the following criteria were included in this sample: endorsed ever being pregnant; attempted a pregnancy in 2019 or 2021; and endorsed either a male- or female-sex partner OR responded to questions regarding their sexual identity during their conception window. The main outcome was any MAR use including ART (i.e. procedures involving micromanipulation of gametes) and non-ART MAR (i.e. nonmanipulation of gametes). Secondary outcomes included specific MAR procedures, time to conception, and trends across time. We assessed differences in any MAR use using weighted modified Poisson generalized estimating equations. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: Among 3519 participants, there were 6935 pregnancies/pregnancy attempts and 19.4% involved MAR. A total of 47 pregnancies or pregnancy attempts were among the same-sex partnered participants, while 91 were among bisexual participants and 37 among lesbian participants. Participants with same-sex, compared to different-sex partners were almost five times as likely to use MAR (risk ratio [95% CI]: 4.78 [4.06, 5.61]). Compared to completely heterosexual participants, there was greater MAR use among lesbian (4.00 [3.10, 5.16]) and bisexual (2.22 [1.60, 3.07]) participants compared to no MAR use; mostly heterosexual participants were also more likely to use ART (1.42 [1.11, 1.82]) compared to non-ART MAR. Among first pregnancies conceived using MAR, conception pathways differed by partnership and sexual identity groups; differences were largest for IUI, intravaginal insemination, and timed intercourse with ovulation induction. From 2002 to 2021, MAR use increased proportionally to total pregnancies/pregnancy attempts; ART use was increasingly common in later years among same-sex partnered and lesbian participants. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: Our results are limited by the small number of SMW, the homogenous sample of mostly White, educated participants, the potential misclassification of MAR use when creating conception pathways unique to SMW, and the questionnaire's skip logic, which excluded certain participants from receiving MAR questions. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: Previous studies on SMW family formation have primarily focused on clinical outcomes from ART procedures and perinatal outcomes by conception method, and have been almost exclusively limited to European, clinical samples that relied on partnership data only. Despite the small sample of SMW within a nonrepresentative study, this is the first study to our knowledge to use a nonclinical sample of cisgender women from across the USA to elucidate family formation pathways by partnership as well as sexual identity, including pathways that may be unique to SMW. This was made possible by our innovative approach to MAR categorization within a large, prospective dataset that collected detailed sexual orientation data. Specifically, lesbian, bisexual, and same-sex partnered participants used both ART and non-ART MAR at similar frequencies compared to heterosexual and different-sex partnered participants. This may signal differential access to conception pathways owing to structural barriers, emerging conception trends as family formation among SMW has increased, and a need for conception support beyond specialized providers and fertility clinics. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S): The research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), under award number R01MD015256. Additionally, KRSS is supported by NCI grant T32CA009001, AKH by the NCI T32CA057711, PC by the NHLBI T32HL098048, BM by the Stanford Maternal Child Health Research Institute Clinical Trainee Support Grant and the Diversity Fellowship from the American Society for Reproductive Medicine Research Institute, BGE by NICHD R01HD091405, and SM by the Thomas O. Pyle Fellowship through the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation and Harvard University, NHLBI T32HL098048, NIMH R01MH112384, and the William T. Grant Foundation grant number 187958. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. The first author recently had a leadership role in the not-for-profit program, The Lesbian Health Fund, a research fund focused on improving the health and wellbeing of LGBTQ+ women and girls. The fund did not have any role in this study and the author's relationship with the fund did not bias the findings of this manuscript. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: N/A.

Disparities in positive mental health of sexual and gender minority adults in Canada. / Disparités dans la santé mentale positive des adultes faisant partie d'une minorité sexuelle ou de genre au Canada.

INTRODUCTION: The goal of this study was to examine potential disparities in positive mental health (PMH) among adults in Canada by sexual orientation and gender modality. METHODS: Using 2019 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) Annual Component data (N = 57 034), we compared mean life satisfaction and the prevalence of high self-rated mental health (SRMH), happiness and community belonging between heterosexual and sexual minority adults, and between cisgender and gender minority adults. We used 2019 CCHS Rapid Response on PMH data (N = 11 486) to compare the prevalence of high psychological well-being between heterosexual and sexual minority adults. Linear and logistic regression analyses examined the between-group differences in mean life satisfaction and the other PMH outcomes, respectively. RESULTS: Sexual minority (vs. heterosexual) adults reported lower mean life satisfaction (B = -0.7, 95% CI: -0.8, -0.5) and were less likely to report high SRMH (OR = 0.4, 95% CI: 0.3, 0.5), happiness (OR = 0.4, 95% CI: 0.3, 0.5), community belonging (OR = 0.6, 95% CI: 0.5, 0.7) and psychological well-being (OR = 0.4, 95% CI: 0.3, 0.6). Differences were not always significant for specific sexual minority groups in sexstratified analyses. Gender minority adults reported lower mean life satisfaction and were less likely to report high SRMH and happiness than cisgender adults. CONCLUSION: Future research could investigate how these PMH disparities arise, risk and protective factors in these populations, how other sociodemographic factors interact with sexual orientation and gender identity to influence PMH and changes in disparities over time.

Trajectories of Mental Distress Among US Women by Sexual Orientation and Racialized Group During the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Objectives. To describe longitudinal trends in the prevalence of mental distress across the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic (April 2020‒April 2021) among US women at the intersection of sexual orientation and racialized group. Methods. Participants included 49 805 cisgender women and female-identified people from the COVID-19 Sub-Study, a cohort of US adults embedded within the Nurses' Health Studies 2 and 3 and the Growing Up Today Study. We fit generalized estimating equation Poisson models to estimate trends in depressive and anxiety symptoms by sexual orientation (gay or lesbian, bisexual, mostly heterosexual, completely heterosexual); subsequent models explored further differences by racialized group (Asian, Black, Latine, White, other or unlisted). Results. Relative to completely heterosexual peers, gay or lesbian, bisexual, and mostly heterosexual women had a higher prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms at each study wave and experienced widening inequities over time. Inequities were largest for sexual minority women of color, although confidence intervals were wide. Conclusions. The COVID-19 pandemic may have exacerbated already-glaring mental health inequities affecting sexual minority women, especially those belonging to marginalized racialized groups. Future research should investigate structural drivers of these patterns to inform policy-oriented interventions. (Am J Public Health. 2024;114(5):511-522. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2024.307601).

Sexual Sanctification and Relationship Satisfaction in Black Heterosexual Couples.

This study examines dyadic data from 299 married and 242 cohabiting Black heterosexual couples in the United States (an understudied cross-section of the population) and assesses individual (actor) effects as well as couple (partner) effects of sexual sanctification and relationship satisfaction. Higher levels of sexual sanctification were associated with higher levels of relationship satisfaction for women and men in the actor effects, but no significant associations were found in the partner effects for couples. Additionally, initial findings suggest that sexual sanctification may act as a relational protective factor for Black married and cohabiting couples. Implications for further research as well as practical applications for clergy, therapists, and practitioners working with Black heterosexual couples in sexual relationships are also discussed.

The role of loneliness in the association between sexual orientation and depressive symptoms among older adults: A prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to understand the mechanisms contributing to the elevated risk of depression among sexual minority older adults compared to heterosexuals. Specifically, the role of loneliness as a potential mediator is investigated to inform targeted interventions for preventing depression in sexual minority populations. METHODS: Data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, focusing on adults aged over 50, were analysed. Sexual orientation (sexual minority or heterosexual) and loneliness scores (UCLA scale) were assessed at wave six (2010-2011), while depressive symptoms (CESD) were assessed at wave seven (2013-14). Linear regression models and mediation analyses, using g-computation formula and adjusted for confounders, were conducted. RESULTS: The sample included 6794 participants, with 478 (7.0 %) identifying as sexual minorities. After adjustments, sexual minorities scored higher on depressive symptoms at wave seven (mean difference): 0.23, 95 % CI 0.07 to 0.39) and loneliness at wave six (MD: 0.27, 95 % CI 0.08 to 0.46). Loneliness was positively associated with depressive symptoms (coefficient: 0.27, 95 % CI 0.26 to 0.29). In mediation analyses, loneliness explained 15 % of the association between sexual orientation and subsequent depressive symptoms. LIMITATIONS: The dataset used sexual behaviour rather than desire and identity, potentially skewing representation of sexual minorities. Additionally, transgender older adults were not included due to limited gender diversity reported within the ELSA dataset. CONCLUSIONS: Loneliness appears to be a significant modifiable mechanism contributing to the heightened risk of depressive symptoms in sexual minority older adults compared with their heterosexual counterparts.

Using the theory of planned behavior to predict parents' disclosure of donor conception to their children: a longitudinal study.

STUDY QUESTION: Can the application of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) help predict heterosexual parents' disclosure of donor conception to their children? SUMMARY ANSWER: Parents with a stronger will to act in accordance with social norms favoring disclosure were more likely to start the disclosure process within the next 5-9 years. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: In contrast to single mothers by choice and same-sex couples, heterosexual couples need to make an active decision to disclose their use of donor conception to their child. While disclosure at an early age is encouraged by international guidelines, many heterosexual-couple parents struggle with this. A previous study has found an association between parental scores of TPB factors and disclosure intention, but so far, no study has applied the TPB to predict parents' disclosure behavior. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: The present study is based on the fourth and fifth waves of data collection (T4 and T5) in a nation-wide longitudinal study. Participating parents had conceived through identity-release oocyte donation (n = 68, response rate 65%) and sperm donation (n = 62, response rate 56%) as part of a heterosexual couple. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: The present study is part of the prospective longitudinal Swedish Study on Gamete Donation (SSGD). Consecutive recruitment of couples starting oocyte or sperm donation treatment was conducted at all seven fertility clinics providing gamete donation in Sweden during a 3-year period (2005-2008). Participants were requested to complete postal surveys at five time points. The present study includes heterosexual-couple parents following oocyte or sperm donation who participated at the two latest time points when their children were 7-8 years old (T4), and 13-17 years old (T5). At T4, participants completed the study-specific TPB Disclosure Questionnaire (TPB-DQ) measuring attitudes and intentions to disclose the donor conception to the child, and disclosure behavior was assessed at both T4 and T5. Data from those participants who had not yet disclosed at T4 were analyzed using survival analysis with Cox regressions. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: Forty participants had not disclosed the donor conception to their children at T4 and, out of these, 13 had still not disclosed at T5. We found a significant association between scores of the TPB factor Subjective norms at T4 and their subsequent disclosure behavior at T5 (HR = 2.019; 95% CI: 1.36-3.01). None of the other factors were significantly associated with disclosure behavior. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: The present study concerns heterosexual-couple parents with children conceived following treatment with gametes from open-identity donors, which limits the generalizability of our findings to other groups and contexts. Other limitations include the risk of systematic attrition due to the longitudinal study design and decreased statistical power due to few participants. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: Our findings highlight the importance of perceived subjective norms for parents' disclosure behavior and indicate that the co-parent's opinion about disclosure is of particular relevance in this regard. Counselors should focus on supporting prospective parents to initiate and maintain a healthy and open dialogue about concerns around building a family with donor conception. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S): The study was funded by the Swedish Research Council. The authors have no competing interests to declare. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: N/A.

Subtypes of Alcohol Expectancies Are Differentially Associated With Alcohol Use for Bisexual and Heterosexual Women.

Background: Bisexual women, compared to heterosexual women, report greater amounts of alcohol use and heavy drinking. Alcohol expectancies (i.e., beliefs about alcohol outcomes) are a strong predictor of alcohol use, but few studies have examined the importance of alcohol expectancies in relation to alcohol use among bisexual women specifically or in comparison to heterosexual women. Objectives: The current study examined 262 heterosexual and 225 bisexual women using an online survey about alcohol use, sexual risk-taking, and alcohol expectancy subtypes (sexuality, tension reduction, and aggression). Results: Compared to heterosexual women, bisexual women reported greater sexuality and tension reduction expectancies after accounting for their level of drinking, but groups did not differ on aggression expectancies. Moreover, sexual identity status moderated the associations between sexuality and tension reduction expectancies and alcohol use, respectively. Specifically, our study findings suggested that sexuality and tension reduction alcohol expectancies were more strongly tied to alcohol use among bisexual women than heterosexual women. Conclusions: Taken together, in our study, bisexual women held stronger sexuality and tension reduction expectancies, as compared to heterosexual women. Interventions targeting alcohol expectancies may be considered when tailoring intervention content for this population.

Characterizing the hierarchical depression phenotype in sexually diverse individuals.

INTRODUCTION: Sexual diverse individuals are at high risk for internalizing psychopathologies, such as depression. Understanding how symptom profiles of heterogeneous psychiatric disorders such as depression differ for sexually diverse vs. heterosexual individuals is thus critical to advance precision psychiatry and maximize our ability to effectively treat members of this population. Research has failed to consider the possibility of hierarchical phenotypes, wherein sexual orientation status may be uniquely and simultaneously associated with both depression broadly and with individual symptoms. METHOD: To address these issues, we conducted a moderated nonlinear factor analysis in Wave IV of the Add Health study, using sexual diversity status as a predictor of (a) latent depression, (b) factor loadings, and (c) individual symptoms, with and without controlling for race. RESULTS: Sexual diversity status was positively and simultaneously associated with latent depression, concentration difficulties, and happiness. DISCUSSION: These findings suggest that sexually diverse populations not only face greater depression, broadly defined, but are disproportionately more likely to experience concentration difficulties and be happier compared to heterosexual counterparts. Methodologically, these models indicate that the CES-D is scalar noninvariant as a function of sexual diversity status (i.e., identical scores on the CES-D may represent different manifestations of depression for sexually diverse and heterosexual participants). Studies examining disparities in depression across heterosexual and sexually diverse samples should thus consider depression broadly as well as specific symptoms. Further, it is critical to examine whether these relations function via different mechanisms.

Examining sexual minority engagement in recovery community centers.

INTRODUCTION: Research indicates that sexual minority (SM) individuals with alcohol and other drug use disorders may underutilize recovery resources generally but be more likely to use recovery community centers (RCCs). To inform recovery supports, this study characterized SM and heterosexual RCC members by demographics and clinical and recovery support service utilization. METHODS: Cross-sectional secondary analyses compared SM and heterosexual RCC members in the northeastern U.S. (n = 337). Qualitative analyses coded the top three recovery facilitators. RESULTS: Of the 337 participants (Meanage[SD] = 40.98[12.38], 51.8 % female), SM RCC members were more likely than heterosexuals to endorse lifetime psychiatric diagnoses and emergency department mental health treatment (p < .01). RCC service utilization and qualitatively derived recovery facilitators were mostly consistent across groups. CONCLUSIONS: RCCs engaged SM individuals in recovery in ways consistent with heterosexuals. Despite otherwise vastly similar demographic characteristics across sexual identity, findings suggest a need for additional mental health resources for SM individuals in recovery.

Fertility of Czech Gay and Straight Men, Women, and Their Relatives: Testing the Sexually Antagonistic Gene Hypothesis.

One proposal for the persistence of homosexuality in the human population is the sexually antagonistic gene hypothesis, which suggests that the lower fertility of homosexual individuals, especially men, may be compensated by higher fertility of their relatives of the opposite sex. To test this hypothesis, we have collected data from 7,312 heterosexual men, 459 gay men, 3,352 heterosexual women, and 79 lesbian women mainly from Czechia. In an online survey, participants answered questions regarding their own as well as their parents' and grandparents' fertility. For men, we obtained no significant results except for higher fertility of gay men's paternal grandmothers, but the magnitude of this effect was very small. For the female sample, we recorded lower fertility of lesbian women's mothers and fathers. In line with our expectations, both gay men and lesbian women had lower fertility rates than their heterosexual counterparts. Our results are consistent with recent studies which likewise do not support the sexually antagonistic gene hypothesis.

Clinical characteristics among sexual minority and heterosexual women with body dysmorphic disorder.

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a common disorder associated with substantial comorbidity, impairment, and poor quality of life. Research on subcultural variations of BDD is limited but may impact assessment and treatment of the disorder. The current study examined clinical features in a sample of sexual minority (SM; n = 43) and heterosexual (n = 155) women with diagnosed BDD. Participants completed self-report and clinician-administered measures of demographic and clinical characteristics. Results indicated largely similar clinical features across groups with some exceptions: compared to non-SM women, SM women were younger (M = 25.50 vs 31.96 years, p < .001), had better BDD-related insight (M = 14.51 vs 16.26, p = .01), endorsed a greater number of disliked body parts, and were more likely to express preoccupation with body build (OR = 4.6, 95% CI [2.0, 10.9]), chin/jaw (OR = 4.7, 95% CI [2.1, 10.3]), and shoulders (OR = 10.1, 95% CI [2.7, 37.9]), possibly reflecting nuanced beauty ideals within the SM community. There were no significant group differences in other body parts of concern, BDD severity, or depression. Future studies are needed in larger, more inclusive samples to explore the relationship between diverse identities on BDD and its associated features.

Self-compassion and relationship status moderate the relationship between sexual minority status and body image concerns.

A growing body of research suggests that sexual minority men (SMM) experience greater body image concerns including body shame, body surveillance, drive for muscularity and drive for thinness than heterosexual men. However, little is known regarding the potential factors that can buffer these relationships. The aim of the present study was to examine the role that both self-compassion and relationship status may play in decreasing the strength of the relationship between sexual minority status and body image concerns. A sample of n = 106 SMM and n = 145 heterosexual men completed an online survey assessing body image concerns, self-compassion, and relationship status. Findings revealed that SMM reported higher levels of body image concerns (on all measures, except drive for muscularity) as compared to heterosexual men. Self-compassion moderated the link between sexual orientation and drive for muscularity: in men with higher levels of self-compassion, sexual orientation was no longer associated with drive for muscularity. But, among men with less self-compassion, SMM reported higher drive for muscularity than heterosexual men. Moreover, relationship status moderated the relationship between sexual orientation and body shame and drive for thinness, such that, among SMM only, being in a relationship was associated with lower levels of these concerns.

Differential Evaluation of Straight and Gay Men for Nonverbal Effeminate Behavior.

The purpose of this study was to determine how violation of gender-based expectancies might influence straight men's attitudes toward men who differ by sexual orientation (i.e., straight or gay). This study was specifically designed to avoid methodological issues that may have been present in similar research. Hypotheses were informed by Expectancy-Violation Theory (EVT) and the Black Sheep Effect (BSE), which together suggest that an effeminate straight man should be evaluated by other straight men more negatively than an effeminate gay man because the former target negatively violated expectations. Additionally, EVT suggests that a masculine gay man should be evaluated more positively than a masculine straight man because the former positively violates expectations, while the BSE instead suggests the latter should be evaluated more positively than the former due to ingroup bias. Self-identified straight men evaluated a male target whose sexual orientation and gender conformity were manipulated through a photo and vignette. A moderated mediation analysis was performed to determine if perceived expectancy violation mediated the relationship between sexual orientation and evaluations for both effeminate and masculine men. Straight effeminate targets were evaluated more negatively than gay effeminate targets; however, straight masculine targets were evaluated more favorably than gay masculine targets, a finding more consistent with the BSE. In addition, perceived expectancy violation did not mediate the relationship between sexual orientation and evaluations regardless of gender expression. More research should be conducted to identify the mechanisms through which evaluations of straight and gay targets differ based on gender expression.

What Do Different People Look for in a Partner? Effects of Sex, Sexual Orientation, and Mating Strategies on Partner Preferences.

Partner preferences are an important differential in relationship formation and evolutionary fitness, and vary according to individual, ecological, and social factors. In this study, we evaluated the variation in preference for intelligence, kindness, physical attractiveness, health, and socioeconomic level among individuals of different sexes and sexual orientations in a Brazilian sample. We analyzed the preference scores of 778 heterosexual, bisexual, and homosexual men and women in three budgeted mate design tasks (low vs. medium vs. high budget) and their association with sociosexuality, attachment styles, homogamy, and willingness to engage in short- and long-term relationships. Results indicated a global trait preference order, with intelligence ranking first, followed by kindness, physical attractiveness, health, and lastly by socioeconomic status. Typical sex differences were observed mostly within the heterosexual group, and specific combinations of sex and sexual orientation were linked to variation in preference for physical attractiveness, kindness, and socioeconomic status. We also found unique associations of the other variables with partner preferences and with willingness to engage in short- or long-term relationships. By exploring the partner preferences of non-heterosexual individuals from a Latin American country, an underrepresented group in evolutionary psychology research, our results help understand the universal and specific factors that guide partner preferences and human sexual behavior.

The Desirable Dad Hypothesis: Male Same-Sex Attraction as the Product of Selection for Paternal Care via Antagonistic Pleiotropy.

Same-sex attraction, a heritable trait with a reproductive cost, lacks a comprehensive evolutionary explanation. Here we build on a hypothesis invoking antagonistic pleiotropy, which suggests that genes linked to male same-sex attraction remain in the gene pool because they have conferred some fitness advantage to heterosexual men possessing them. We posit the "desirable dad hypothesis," which proposes that alleles linked to male non-heterosexual orientations increase traits conducive to childcare; heterosexual men possessing same-sex attracted alleles are more desirable mating partners as a function of possessing superior paternal qualities. We conducted three studies to test predictions from this hypothesis. Results were consistent with all three predictions. Study 1 (N = 1632) showed that heterosexual men with same-sex attracted relatives were more feminine than men without, as indicated by self-report measures of femininity (η2 = .007), warmth (η2 = .002), and nurturance (η2 = .004 - .006). In Study 2 (N = 152), women rated feminine male profiles as more romantically appealing than masculine ones (d = 0.83)-but less so than profiles possessing a combination of feminine and masculine traits. In Study 3 (N = 153), women perceived feminine male profiles as depicting the best fathers and masculine profiles the worst (d = 1.56): consistent with the idea that femininity is attractive for childcare reasons. Together, these findings are consistent with the idea that sexual selection for male parental care may be involved in the evolution of male same-sex attraction.

Sexual Attraction Disparities in Adolescent Mental Health: The Role of School Norms.

Purpose: Few studies examine whether and how heterosexist norms in schools might influence disparities in mental health between sexual minority and heterosexual adolescents. Addressing this gap, we study disparities in life satisfaction, psychosomatic complaints, and emotional problems between same/both-sex attracted and other-sex attracted adolescents and examine the moderating role of heterosexist norms on the classroom- and school-level. Methods: We used data from the 2013 and 2017 Dutch Health and Behavior in School-Aged Children study (N = 12,756; mean age = 14.02; standard deviation = 1.54). Separate multi-level analyses for life satisfaction, psychosomatic complaints, and emotional problems were conducted in which cross-level interaction effects between sexual attraction and school and classroom-level heterosexist norms were estimated. Results: Same-sex attracted, both-sex attracted, and adolescents unsure about their sexual attraction reported lower life satisfaction, more psychosomatic complaints, and more emotional problems than their other-sex attracted peers. On average, stronger school-level heterosexist norms were associated with higher life satisfaction, fewer psychosomatic complaints, and fewer emotional problems. Stronger classroom-level heterosexist norms were associated with fewer emotional problems. One moderating effect of sexual attraction and school-level heterosexist norms was found. Contrary to expectations, disparities in life satisfaction between same-sex attracted and other-sex attracted adolescents were smaller when classroom-level heterosexist norms were stronger. Standardized regression coefficients showed that the associations were small. Conclusion: Although our findings suggest pressing health disparities between heterosexual and sexual minority adolescents, heterosexist norms at the school and classroom level were weakly associated with these health disparities.

Sexual orientation and mental health in a US cohort of children: a longitudinal mediation study.

BACKGROUND: Sexual minorities, including children, are at increased risk for adverse mental health outcomes compared to their heterosexual peers, but longitudinal studies are needed to determine the factors that explain the associations between sexual minority identification and adverse mental health outcomes during this developmental period. We examined longitudinal associations between sexual orientation and mental health over 2 years in a US cohort of children (aged 9-10 at baseline) and two explanatory factors (increased social problems such as getting teased and decreased perceived school safety). We hypothesized that beginning to identify as gay/bisexual and consistently identifying as gay/bisexual would be associated with increases in internalizing (e.g. depression, anxiety) and externalizing (e.g. aggression) problems compared to consistently identifying as heterosexual, and these associations would be partially explained by increased social problems and decreased perceived school safety. METHODS: We used data from Waves 1-3 of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study. The analytic sample included 5,574 children (46.0% female; 55.1% non-Hispanic White). RESULTS: Beginning to identify as gay/bisexual was associated with increased internalizing/externalizing problems, and consistently identifying as gay/bisexual was associated with increased internalizing problems, compared to consistently identifying as heterosexual. For those who consistently identified as gay/bisexual, increased disparities in internalizing problems were partially explained by increased social problems and decreased perceived school safety, and increased disparities in externalizing problems were partially explained by increased social problems. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest the health disparities affecting sexual minority children include both internalizing and externalizing problems, and social problems and feeling unsafe at school may be contributing factors.

Associations Between Verbal and Physical Abuse in the Home and Mental Health Indicators Among Heterosexual and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Questioning High School Students in the US-Adolescent Behaviors and Experiences Survey, 2021.

PURPOSE: A number of factors may contribute to disparities in mental health and suicidality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and questioning (LGBQ) students, including parental abuse. METHODS: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Adolescent Behaviors and Experiences Survey included a nationally representative sample of US high school students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The current analyses examined experiences of verbal and physical abuse in the home with mental health and suicidality among LGBQ students compared to heterosexual students. RESULTS: The relationship between abuse and mental health and suicidality was significant for all students; however, LGBQ students experienced substantially more abuse and had significantly poorer mental health and greater suicidality than heterosexual students. DISCUSSION: Experiencing verbal or physical abuse in the home is strongly associated with poor mental health and suicidality among youth, regardless of sexual identity; however, among LGBQ students who experienced abuse, the prevalence of poor mental health and suicidality reached crisis levels.

Category intersections as conceptual combinations: Combining male categories of age and sexual orientation.

We reconcile interactive and additive models of category intersection by recasting these theoretical efforts within the conceptual combination framework. In three studies (Ntot = 364), we showed that, in line with an interactive approach, combining 'elderly men' with 'gay men' generated an atypical subtype with unique attributes that could not be reduced to the sum of the attributes of the constituent categories (Studies 1-3). Moreover, consistent with the additive models, combining 'heterosexual men' with age categories (i.e. young/elderly men, Study 1) made their age typicality particularly salient, and 'young men' with sexual orientation categories (i.e. gay/heterosexual men, Study 2) emphasized their sexual orientation typicality. Also, participants not only appraised 'gay men' and 'young gay men' in part as redundant categories, but they also judged 'elderly men' and 'elderly heterosexual men' to be largely overlapping. These findings take advantage of a multi-method assessment, spanning from measures of perceived typicality to the analysis of attributes freely generated in reaction to the target categories. Our results inform cognitive models of multiple category combinations and shed light on the cognitive 'invisibility' of elderly gay men and its social implications.