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According to new report: "Minority Stress and Physical Health Among Sexual Minorities"
Lesbians, gays and bisexuals who experience prejudice-related stress are at increased risk of health problems, according to a new report.
Researchers at the Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Law and Public Policy at the University of California in Los Angeles found that lesbians, gays and bisexual people (LGB) who are exposed to prejudice-related events were about three times more likely to suffer serious physical health problems over a one-year follow-up period than those who did not experience such events.
The report, “Minority Stress and Physical Health Among Sexual Minorities,” underscores earlier research that shows the effect of hate crimes on mental health is greater than that of similar crimes not related to hate.
“This study shows that stigma and prejudice have a great toll on the health of LGB people,” said Dr. Ilan H. Meyer, Williams’ senior scholar of public policy and the senior author of the paper. “Prejudice-related life events are more damaging to the physical health of lesbians, gay men and bisexuals than any other kind of stressful life event.”
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