The descriptive analysis of depressive symptoms and White Blood Cell (WBC) count between the sexual minorities and heterosexual identifying individuals in a nationally representative sample: 2005-2014.

BACKGROUND: Sexual minorities are at a higher risk of suffering from depressive symptoms compared with heterosexual individuals. Only a few studies have examined the conditions of having depressive symptoms within different sexual minority groups, especially people with sexual orientation uncertainty in a nationally representative sample. Furthermore, few studies have explored whether the mean white blood count (WBC) is different between people with and without depressive symptoms among different sexual minority groups in a nationally representative sample. METHODS: We analyzed the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data from 2005 to 2014 with a sample of 14,090 subjects. We compared the prevalence of depressive symptoms in subpopulations stratified by sex, sexual minority status, and race. We also examined the difference in mean WBC count between depressed and non-depressed people among heterosexual individuals and different sexual minority groups. Additionally, two multivariable logistic regression models were used to explore the association between sexual minority status and depressive symptoms, treating sexual minority status as both a binary and categorical variable. RESULTS: Female sex (OR: 1.96, 95% CI: 1.72-2.22) and sexual minority status (OR: 1.79, 95% CI: 1.47-2.17) were both independently associated with depressive symptoms. Within the sexual minority population, subjects who were unsure about their sexual identities had the highest odds of having depressive symptoms (OR: 2.56, 95% CI: 1.40-4.68). In the subgroup analysis considering intersectionality, black sexual minority females had the highest rate of depressive symptoms (19.4%, 95% CI: 7.72-40.98). Finally, the mean WBC count differed significantly between people with and without depressive symptoms among male heterosexual individuals, female heterosexual individuals, and female sexual minorities, but not among male sexual minorities. CONCLUSIONS: Based on sex, race, and sexual minority status, black females of sexual minority status had the highest rate of depressive symptoms. Within sexual minority groups, participants who were unsure about their sexual identities had the highest odds of having depressive symptoms. Finally, the mean WBC count was significantly higher among people with depressive symptoms than those without depressive symptoms only among male heterosexuals, female heterosexuals, and female sexual minorities, but not among male sexual minorities. Future research should investigate the social and biological mechanisms of the differences.

Does the association between Herpes Simplex 2 infection and depressive symptoms vary among different sexual minority statuses and sex groups? Findings from a nationally representative sample.

BACKGROUND: Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 (HSV-2) has been associated with depression, but the relationship has yet to be explored with respect to gender and sexual orientation in a nationally representative sample to help identify individuals at higher risk for depression. METHODS: A dataset from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2009-2014 was used in this study. Multivariable logistic regression models were constructed to test effect modification on both the multiplicative and additive scale using a sample of 57,684 subjects. RESULTS: Effect modification by sexual minority status was not significant on either the multiplicative scale (Ratio of ORs: 0.74, 95 % CI: 0.37-1.50, p = 0.395) or the additive scale (RERI: -0.22, 95%CI: -2.27-1.84, p = 0.833). Meanwhile, biological sex assigned at birth was a significant modifier only on the additive scale (RERI: 0.82, 95 % CI: 0.004-1.64, P = 0.049). Specifically, females (OR: 1.43, 95 % CI: 1.03-1.97, P = 0.032) had greater odds of having depressive symptoms compared with males (OR: 1.20, 95 % CI: 0.69-2.08, p = 0.509) after the HSV-2 infection. LIMITATIONS: The analysis was based on a cross-sectional study; further investigation using longitudinal datasets might be beneficial. CONCLUSIONS: Sexual minority status did not modify the association between HSV-2 infection and having depressive symptoms. However, biological sex assigned at birth was a modifier only on the additive but not the multiplicative scale. Health workers should be alert for depression symptoms in females with HSV-2 infection.