Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39192098›Full record

ArticleSocial psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology2025

Long-term trends in mental health disparities across sexual orientations in the UK: a longitudinal analysis (2010-2021).

Yihong Bai, Chungah Kim, Elena Levitskaya, Nadzeya Burneiko, Kristine Ienciu, Antony Chum

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Article in Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
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6citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Yihong Bai *School of Kinesiology and Health Science, York University, 4700 Keele St, Toronto, ON, M3J 1P3, Canada.
Chungah Kim *School of Kinesiology and Health Science, York University, 4700 Keele St, Toronto, ON, M3J 1P3, Canada.
Elena LevitskayaSchool of Kinesiology and Health Science, York University, 4700 Keele St, Toronto, ON, M3J 1P3, Canada.
Nadzeya BurneikoSchool of Kinesiology and Health Science, York University, 4700 Keele St, Toronto, ON, M3J 1P3, Canada.
Kristine IenciuSchool of Kinesiology and Health Science, York University, 4700 Keele St, Toronto, ON, M3J 1P3, Canada.
Antony ChumSchool of Kinesiology and Health Science, York University, 4700 Keele St, Toronto, ON, M3J 1P3, Canada. chuma@yorku.ca.

Funding

Canada Research Chairs 2021-00269Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council 435-2020-1086
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundsIn the context of increasing hate crimes, legislative challenges, and anti-LGBTQ + sentiment, we conducted the first study that comprehensively examined long-term mental health disparities across sexual orientations in the UK from 2010 to 2021. Prior studies predominantly relied on cross-sectional or limited longitudinal designs, thus failing to capture evolving trends over a decade and providing crucial insights into the dynamics of mental health challenges faced by sexual minorities, essential for devising targeted public health interventions and policies.

methodsWaves 2-12 of the UK Longitudinal Household Survey for adults (n = 52,591) were used. MCS-12 (Mental Health Component Scale of the Short-Form Health Survey) for mental functioning and GHQ (General Health Questionnaire) for psychological distress were included as the main outcomes, along with other measures of well-being. Mixed-effect longitudinal models were used to examine the trends of mental health disparities across sexual orientations.

resultsRelative to their heterosexual counterparts, psychological distress (GHQ) increased for gay men, lesbians, and women with "other" orientations. Bisexual women saw the steepest increase from 1.69 higher GHQ vs. their heterosexual counterparts in 2010 (95%CI: 0.81 to 2.57), up to 3.37 in 2021 (95%CI: 2.28 to 4.45). Similar trends were also shown in the other measures.

conclusionsThe study highlights increases in mental health disparities between sexual minorities and heterosexuals. The escalating psychological distress among sexual minorities, particularly bisexual women, calls for an urgent, multi-faceted, and intersectoral response. This approach must address both symptoms and the social structures perpetuating these disparities across sexual orientations.

Indexed as

Health Status DisparitiesMental HealthPsychological DistressSexual and Gender MinoritiesSexual BehaviorAdolescentAdultFemaleHumansLongitudinal StudiesMaleMiddle AgedUnited KingdomYoung AdultHealth disparitiesLGBTLongitudinal analysisMental healthSexual minorityUnited Kingdom

Identifiers

PMID39192098

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.