Primary Submission Category: LGBTQ+
Discrimination, State LGBT Protective Policy Environment and Mental Health among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Adults
Authors: Gabe Miller Guadalupe Marquez-Velarde Stephanie M. Hernandez
Presenting Author: Gabe H. Miller*
Using a national nonprobability sample of LGBT people collected in 2021, we explore the relationship between state-level LGBT-protective policy, experiences of discrimination based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity, and four mental health outcomes (lifetime diagnosis of depression, lifetime diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder, severe psychological distress, and lifetime suicide attempt). Due to the dichotomous nature of all four outcomes variables and to test the relationship between state-level laws and policies and mental health outcomes, we utilize multilevel mixed-effects logistic regressions, expressed in adjusted odds ratios. To account for clustering of data by state, we included the U.S. state the respondent resided in in 2021 as a random intercept. We present the most parsimonious models by respecifying models after assessing multicollinearity by dropping income and other covariates that were too closely associated with each other. Findings suggest that 1) experiencing any discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity and is associated with increased odds of being diagnosed with depression, being diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, meeting the criteria for severe psychological distress, and reporting lifetime suicide attempt. Additionally, residing in a state with lower levels of LGBT-protective policy is associated with increased odds of being diagnosed with depression, being diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, meeting the criteria for severe psychological distress, and reporting lifetime suicide attempt. Finally, while both discrimination and LGBT-protective policy are independently associated with these four mental health outcomes, a more protective state policy environment moderates the relationship between discrimination and adverse mental health.