Bans on Same-Sex Marriage May Affect Mental Health (posted 3/10)

A new study out of the Journal of Public Health shows that gay, lesbian, and bisexual people living in states with institutional discrimination - such as bans on same-sex marriage - are at increased risk of psychiatric disorders, reports Business Week. Researchers analyzed data from lesbians, gays and bisexuals who were interviewed in 2001-2002 and 2004-2005 for the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. The participants lived in states that instituted constitutional amendments banning gay marriage following the 2004-2005 elections. The researchers found a significant increase in the prevalence of mood disorders, generalized anxiety disorders and alcohol use disorders among lesbians, gays and bisexuals after the states banned gay marriage. The greatest increase - more than 200 percent - was seen in generalized anxiety disorder. "Before this study, little was known about the impact of institutional discrimination toward lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) individuals in our society," senior author Deborah Hasin, an epidemiologist at Columbia University and the New York State Psychiatric Institute, said in a university news release. "The study highlights the importance of abolishing institutional forms of discrimination, including those leading to disparities in the mental health and well-being of LGB individuals." To read the Business Week article click here.

To view the abstract of the study on the website of AJPH click here.

For additional information about the relationship between same-sex marriage bans and the health and wellbeing of LGBT families, go to GLMA’s Marriage Equality Project website, click here.

[ » More News & Announcements ]