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| Edited By: |Source: ANI |Updated: Apr 13, 2018, 03:12 AM IST
The stress of being rejected or victimised because of sexual orientation may disrupt hormonal responses in homosexuals and bisexuals (HB), new research from Concordia University suggests.
This investigation examined environmental risks and protective factors that counterbalanced them in HB youth.
"Compared to their heterosexual peers, suicide rates are up to 14 times higher among lesbian, gay and bisexual high school and college students," said Michael Benibgui, who led this investigation as part of his PhD thesis at Concordia's psychology department and Centre for Research in Human Development.
"Depression and anxiety are widespread," he continued. "To learn why this occurs, we studied the physiological impact of homophobic social environments on a group of healthy young homosexual and bisexual adults."
The study examined the link between living in a homophobic environment and 'internalized homophobia,' eg, feeling negatively about oneself because of one's sexual identity as a HB person.
Individuals who experienced more HB-related stress — arguments about sexual identity, bullying or discrimination — had higher internalised homophobia and showed increased production of the stress hormone cortisol compared to peers in more positive environments.
What's more, HB youth who showed more internalised homophobia and abnormal cortisol activity also experienced increased symptoms of depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts.
Benibgui said abnormal cortisol activity in HB youth, combined with the vicious cycle of stress, could be further influenced by a complex set of biological, psychological and social factors.
"This study shows a clear relation between abnormal cortisol levels and environmental stressors related to homophobia," he said.
The study has been published as a doctoral thesis in Clinical Psychology.
