Homosexuality and Mental Health Problems
Ferdinand Leano
Summary: Recent studies show homosexuals have a substantially greater risk
of suffering from a psychiatric problems than do heterosexuals. We see
higher rates of suicide, depression, bulimia, antisocial personality
disorder, and substance abuse. This paper highlights some new and
significant considerations that reflect on the question of those mental
illnesses and on their possible sources.
The American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from its
diagnostic list of mental disorders in 1973, despite substantial protest
(see Socarides, 1995). The A.P.A. was strongly motivated by the desire to
reduce the effects of social oppression. However, one effect of the
A.P.A.'s action was to add psychiatric authority to gay activists'
insistence that homosexuals as a group are as healthy as heterosexuals.
This has discouraged publication of research that suggests there may, in
fact, be psychiatric problems associated with homosexuality.
In a review of the literature, Gonsiorek (1982) argued there was no data
showing mental differences between gays and straights--or if there was
any, it could be attributed to social stigma. Similarly, Ross (1988) in a
cross-cultural study, found most gays were in the normal psychological
range. However some papers did give hints of psychiatric differences
between homosexuals and heterosexuals. One study (Riess, 1980) used the
MMPI, that venerable and well-validated psychological scale, and found
that homosexuals showed definite "personal and emotional oversensitivity."
In 1991 the absolute equality of homosexuality and heterosexuality was
strongly defended in a paper called "The Empirical Basis for the Demise of
the Mental Illness Model" (Gonsiorek, 1991). But not until 1992 was
homosexuality dropped from the psychiatric manual used by other nations--
the International Classification of Diseases (King and Bartlett, 1999)--so
it appears the rest of the world doubted the APA 1973 decision for nearly
two decades.
Is homosexuality as healthy as heterosexuality? To answer that question,
what is needed are representative samples of homosexual people which study
their mental health, unlike the volunteer samples which have, in the past,
selected out any disturbed or gender-atypical subjects (such as in the
well-known study by Evelyn Hooker). And fortunately, such representative
surveys have lately become available.
New Studies Suggest Higher Level of Pathology
One important and carefully conducted study found suicide attempts among
homosexuals were six times greater than the average (Remafedi et al.
1998).
Then, more recently, in the Archives of General Psychiatry-- an
established and well-respected journal--three papers appeared with
extensive accompanying commentary (Fergusson et al. 1999, Herrell et al.
1999, Sandfort et al. 2001, and e.g. Bailey 1999). J. Michael Bailey
included a commentary on the above research; Bailey, it should be noted,
conducted many of the muchpublicized "gay twin studies" which were used by
gay advocates as support for the "born that way" theory. Neil Whitehead,
Ph.D.
Bailey said, "These studies contain arguably the best published data on
the association between homosexuality and psychopathology, and both
converge on the same unhappy conclusion: homosexual people are at
substantially higher risk for some forms of emotional problems, including
suicidality, major depression, and anxiety disorder, conduct disorder, and
nicotine dependence...The strength of the new studies is their degree of
control."
The first study was on male twins who had served in Vietnam (Herrell et
al. 1999). It concluded that on average, male homosexuals were 5.1 times
more likely to exhibit suicide- related behavior or thoughts than their
heterosexual counterparts. Some of this factor of 5.1 was associated with
depression and substance abuse, which might or might not be related to the
homosexuality. (When these two problems were factored out, the factor of 5
decreased to 2.5; still somewhat significant.) The authors believed there
was an independent factor related to suicidality which was probably
closely associated with some features of homosexuality itself.
The second study (Fergusson et al. 1999) followed a large New Zealand
group from birth to their early twenties. The "birth cohort" method of
subject selection is especially reliable and free from most of the biases
which bedevil surveys. This study showed a significantly higher occurrence
of depression, anxiety disorder, conduct disorder, substance abuse and
thoughts about suicide, amongst those who were homosexually active.
The third paper was a Netherlands study (Sandfort et al. 2001) which again
showed a higher level of mental-health problems among homosexuals, but
remarkably, subjects with HIV infection was not any more likely than those
without HIV infection to suffer from mental health problems. People who
are HIV-positive should at least be expected to be anxious or depressed!
The paper thus concluded that HIV infection is not a cause of mental
health problems--but that stigmatization from society was likely the
cause--even in the Netherlands, where alternative lifestyles are more
widely accepted than in most other countries. That interpretation of the
data is quite unconvincing.
The commentaries on those studies brought up three interesting issues.
1. First, there is now clear evidence that mental health problems are
indeed associated with homosexuality. This supports those who opposed the
APA actions in 1973. However, the present papers do not answer the
question; is homosexuality itself pathological?
2. The papers do show that since only a minority of a nonclinical sample
of homosexuals has any diagnosable mental problems (at least by present
diagnostic criteria), then most homosexuals are not mentally ill.
In New Zealand, for example, lesbians are about twice as likely to have
sought help for mental problems as heterosexual women, but only about 35%
of them over their lifespan did so, and never more than 50% (Anon 1995,
Saphira and Glover, 2000, Welch et al. 2000) This corresponds with similar
findings from the U.S.
Relationship Breakups Motivate Most
Suicide Attempts
Next, we ask--do the papers show that it is gay lifestyle factors, or
society's stigmatization, that are the motivators that lead a person to
attempt suicide? Neither conclusion is inevitable. Still, Saghir and
Robins (1978) examined reasons for suicide attempts among homosexuals and
found that if the reasons for the attempt were connected with
homosexuality, about 2/3 were due to breakups of relationships --not
outside pressures from society.
Similarly, Bell and Weinberg (1981) also found the major reason for
suicide attempts was the breakup of relationships. In second place, they
said, was the inability to accept oneself. Since homosexuals have greater
numbers of partners and breakups, compared with heterosexuals, and since
longterm gay male relationships are rarely monagamous, it is hardly
surprising if suicide attempts are proportionally greater. The median
number of partners for homosexuals is four times higher than for
heterosexuals (Whitehead and Whitehead 1999, calculated from Laumann et al
1994).
A good general rule of thumb is that suicide attempts are about three
times higher for homosexuals. Could there be a connection between those
two percentages?
Another factor in suicide attempts would be the compulsive or addictive
elements in homosexuality (Pincu, 1989 ) which could lead to feelings of
depression when the lifestyle is out of control (Seligman 1975). There are
some, (estimates vary, but perhaps as many as 50% of young men today), who
do not take consistent precautions against HIV (Valleroy et al., 2001) and
who have considerable problems with sexual addiction and substance abuse
addiction, and this of course would feed into suicide attempts.
The Effect of Social Stigma
Third, does pressure from society lead to mental health problems? Less, I
believe, than one might imagine. The authors of the study done in The
Netherlands were surprised to find so much mental illness in homosexual
people in a country where tolerance of homosexuality is greater than in
almost all other countries.
Another good comparison country is New Zealand, which is much more
tolerant of homosexuality than is the United States. Legislation giving
the movement special legal rights is powerful, consistently enforced
throughout the country, and virtually never challenged. Despite this broad
level of social tolerance, suicide attempts were common in a New Zealand
study and occurred at about the same rate as in the U.S.
In his cross-cultural comparison of mental health in the Netherlands,
Denmark and the U.S., Ross (1988) could find no significant differences
between countries - i.e. the greater social hostility in the United States
did not result in a higher level of psychiatric problems.
There are three other issues not covered in the Archives journal articles
which are worthy of consideration. The first two involve DSM category
diagnoses.
Promiscuity and Antisocial Personality
The promiscuous person--either heterosexual or homosexual --may in fact be
more likely to be antisocial. It is worth noting here the comment of
Rotello (1997), who is himself openly gay: "...the outlaw aspect of gay
sexual culture, its transgressiveness, is seen by many men as one of its
greatest attributes."
Ellis et al. (1995) examined patients at an clinic which focused on
genital and urological problems such as STD's; he found 38% of the
homosexual men seeking such services had antisocial personality disorder,
as well as 28% of heterosexual men. Both levels were enormously higher
than the 2% rate of antisocial personality disorder for the general
population (which in turn, compares to the 50% rate for prison inmates)
(Matthews 1997).
Perhaps the finding of a higher level of conduct disorder in the New
Zealand study foreshadowed this finding of antisocial personality .
Therapists, of course, are not very likely to see a large number of
individuals who are antisocial because they are probably less likely to
seek help.
Secondly, it was previously noted that 43% of a bulimic sample of men were
homosexual or bisexual (Carlat et al. 1997), a rate about 15 times higher
than the rate in the population in general--meaning homosexual men are
probably disproportionately liable to this mental condition. This may be
due to the very strong preoccupation with appearance and physique
frequently found among male homosexuals.
Ideology of Sexual Liberation
A strong case can be made that the male homosexual lifestyle itself, in
its most extreme form, is mentally disturbed. Remember that Rotello, a gay
advocate, notes that "the outlaw aspect of gay sexual culture, its
transgressiveness, is seen by many men as one of its greatest attributes."
Same-sex eroticism becomes for many, therefore, the central value of
existence, and nothing else--not even life and health itself--is allowed
to interfere with pursuit of this lifestyle. Homosexual promiscuity fuels
the AIDS crisis in the West, but even that tragedy it is not allowed to
interfere with sexual freedom.
And, according to Rotello, the idea of taking responsibility to avoid
infecting others with the HIV virus is completely foreign to many groups
trying to counter AIDS. The idea of protecting oneself is promoted, but
protecting others is not mentioned in most official condom promotions
(France in the '80s was an interesting exception). Bluntly, then, core gay
behavior is both potentially fatal to others, and often suicidal.
Surely it should be considered "mentally disturbed" to risk losing one's
life for sexual liberation. This is surely among the most extreme risks
practiced by any significant fraction of society. I have not found a
higher risk of death accepted by any similar-sized population.
In conclusion, then, if we ask the question "Is mental illness inherent in
the homosexual condition?" the answer would have to be "Further research--
uncompromised by politics --should be carried out to honestly evaluate
this issue."
References
Anon. (1995): Lesbians use more mental health care. The Dominion (NZ) Nov
1, 14.
Bailey, J.M. (1999): Commentary: Homosexuality and mental illness. Arch.
Gen. Psychiatry. 56, 876-880.
Bell, A.P.; Weinberg, M.S. (1978): Homosexualities. A Study Of Diversity
Among Men And Women. Simon and Schuster, New York.
Carlat, D.J.; Camargo, C.A.; Herzog, D.B. (1997): Eating disorders in
males: a report on 135 patients. Am. J. Psychiatry 154, 1127-1132.
Ellis, D; Collis, I; King, M (1995): Personality disorder and sexual risk
taking among homosexually active and heterosexually active men attending a
genito-urinary medicine clinic. J. Psychosom. Res. 39, 901-910.
Fergusson, D.M.; Horwood, L.J.; Beautrais, A.L. (1999): Is sexual
orientation related to mental health problems and suicidality in young
people? Arch. Gen. Psychiat. 56, 876- 880.
Gonsiorek, J.C. (1982): Results of psychological testing on homosexual
populations. In: Homosexuality. Social, Psychological and Biological
Issues. (Eds: Paul, W.; Weinrich, J.D.; Gonsiorek, J.C.; Hotvedt, M.E.)
Sage, Beverly Hills, California, 71-80.
Gonsiorek, J.C. (1991): The empirical basis for the demise of the illness
model of homosexuality. In: Homosexuality: Research Implications for
Public Policy. (Eds: Gonsiorek,J.; Weinrich, J.D.) Sage, 115-136.
Herrell, R.; Goldberg, J.; True,W.R.; Ramakrishnan, V.; Lyons, M.;
Eisen,S.; Tsuang, M.T. (1999): Sexual orientation and suicidality: a co-
twin control study in adult men. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry 56, 867-874.
Kalichman, S.C.; Dwyer, M.; Henderson, M.C.; Hoffman, L. (1992):
Psychological and sexual functioning among outpatient sexual offenders
against children: A Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)
cluster analytic study. J. Psychopath. Behav. Assess. 14, 259-276.
King, M.; Bartlett, A. (1999): British psychiatry and homosexuality. Brit.
J. Psychiatry. 175, 106-113.
Laumann, E.O.; Gagnon, J.H.; Michael, R.T.; Michaels, S. (1994). The
Social Organization of Sexuality. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
Matthews, R. (1997): Game theory backs crackdown on petty crime. New
Scientist 156(2078), 18.
Pincu, L. (1989): Sexual compulsivity in gay men: controversy and
treatment. J. Couns. Dev. 68(1), 63-66.
Remafedi, G.; French, S.; Story, M.; Resnick, M.D.; Blum, R. (1998): The
relationship between suicide risk and sexual orientation: Results of a
population-based study. Am. J. Publ. Health 88, 57-60.
Riess, B. (1980): Psychological tests in homosexuality. In: Homosexual
Behavior: A Modern Appraisal. (Ed: Macmor,J.) Basic Books, New York, 298-
311.
Ross, M.W. (1988): Homosexuality and mental health: a cross-cultural
review. J. Homosex. 15(1/2), 131-152.
Rotello, G. (1997): Sexual Ecology. AIDS and the Destiny of Gay Men.
Dutton, Harmondsworth, Middlesex, UK.
Saghir, M.T.; Robins, E. (1973): Male and Female Homosexuality, A
Comprehensive Investigation. Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore Maryland. 335
pages.
Sandfort, T.G.M.; de Graaf, R.; Bijl, R.V.; Schnabel (2001): Same-sex
sexual behavior and psychiatric disorders. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry. 58, 85-
91.
Saphira, M.; Glover, M. (2000): New Zealand lesbian health survey. J. Gay
Lesb. Med. Assn. 4, 49-56.
Seligman, M.E.P. (1975): Helplessness - On Depression, Development And
Death. Freeman, London.
Socarides, C.W. (1995): Homosexuality: A Freedom Too Far. Adam Margrave
Books, Phoenix, Arizona.
Valleroy, L. A.; Secura, G.; Mackellor, D.; Behel,S. (2001): High HIV and
risk behavior prevalence among 23- to 29- year-old men who have sex with
men in 6 U.S. Cities. Poster 211 at 8th Conference on Retroviruses and
Opportunistic
Melanie Sands
Do you know that eating pickled cucumbers raises your risk of being
in a plane crash?
It's true!
They did a research, and 99,9% of all people who had been in a plane
crash, surviror or not, had consumed pickled cucumbers at least once
in their life.
Melanie
(¯`·.¸ Craig Chilton ¸.·´¯) <http://www.LayoffRemedy.com>
<just...@Use-Author-Supplied-Address.invalid> wrote:
> Summary: Recent studies show homosexuals have a
> substantially greater risk of suffering from a psychiatric
> problems than do heterosexuals. ...
...DUE to the irrational PERSECUTION they've been subjected
to by hateful LOSERS in a Medieval society that is *infested* with
those social RETARDS who are THIS idiotic ---
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
People Don't GET any DUMBER Than THIS!
Just IMAGINE a person being *stupid* enough to care one WHIT
about how, or with whom, OTHER people than themselves who are
consenting adults have sex.
Since most of who DISPARAGE people on the basis of their being
homosexual, seem to be hung up on the way they have SEX -- while
being such HYPOCRITES that they almost *never* are as hateful to
lesbians as they are to male gays... that is pretty much the EPITOME
of IRRATIONALITY! It's hard to believe that ANY person could be ob-
sessed with such a TRIVIAL matter. AS IF the way *other* people
had sex had ANY relevance to *anything!*
Talk about people who have NO LIVES!! Social retards!!
INTERESTINGLY, to the best of my knowledge, NO bigot has EVER
yet been able to explain WHY they are this profoundly stupid!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
••• Rest in Peace •••
••• George Richard Tiller, MD •••
••• A True American HERO! •••
••• August 8, 1941 – May 31, 2009 •••
••• Visit -- http://iamdrtiller.com •••
"He saved the lives of thousands of women who would've
died otherwise, thousands who would've been made sterile
or gravely injured by childbirth. He knew his life was at grave
risk. Dr. Tiller was a true Saint."
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
-- Craig Chilton (E-Mail me if you wish, from websites below.)
http://www.LayoffRemedy.com -- Unemployment Solution!
http://www.ChristianEgalitarian.com -- Fight the hateful RRR Cult!
http://apifar.blogspot.com -- Tactics: Defending Human Rights
http://pro-christian.blogspot.com -- Exposing RRR Cult Bigotry
http://www.shadowandillusion.com -- Learn "The LOPAQUA Secret!"
http://www.TravelForPay.org -- BRAND-NEW 2011 Edition!
http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/print/14481 -- Excellent article!
http://base8.lavenderliberal.com/index.html -- Searchable Database
of the Proposition Hate (8) ENEMIES of Human Rights! KNOW the
enemies... and then HARASS and BOYCOTT the enemies, as much
as it is legally possible to do so!
Sla#s
<Yet more irational nonsense>
Were you aware homophobia is associated with homosexual arousal?
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8772014
Obwon
Adams HE, Wright LW Jr, Lohr BA.
Source
Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens
30602-3013, USA.
Abstract
The authors investigated the role of homosexual arousal in
exclusively heterosexual men who admitted negative affect
toward homosexual individuals. Participants consisted of a
group of homophobic men (n = 35) and a group of
nonhomophobic men (n = 29); they were assigned to groups on
the basis of their scores on the Index of Homophobia (W. W.
Hudson & W. A. Ricketts, 1980). The men were exposed to
sexually explicit erotic stimuli consisting of heterosexual,
male homosexual, and lesbian videotapes, and changes in
penile circumference were monitored. They also completed an
Aggression Questionnaire (A. H. Buss & M. Perry, 1992). Both
groups exhibited increases in penile circumference to the
heterosexual and female homosexual videos. Only the
homophobic men showed an increase in penile erection to male
homosexual stimuli. The groups did not differ in aggression.
Homophobia is apparently associated with homosexual arousal
that the homophobic individual is either unaware of or
denies.
Zonker Bill
You're a fag hag.
juanjo
Address.invalid> wrote:
> Summary: Recent studies show homosexuals have a substantially greater risk
> of suffering from a psychiatric problems than do heterosexuals.
Recent studies????
From 1988 and 1991 is recent only if you are in your 70's as the troll
who posts this crap is. Not to mention the actual author oif the
"article" has been denounced by the authors of various of the studies
for misrepresenting the studies and drawing false conclusions from
them which are unsupported by the data in the studies. It is a
typical trick of mentally unstable, incompetent homophobe to do this
kind of nonsense.
P. Enis Reynaldo
news:iunhfn$37s$4...@localhost.localdomain:
> Ferdinand Leano wrote:
><Yet more irational nonsense>
>
> Were you aware homosexuals fear and hate normal people?
>
Nobody would have ever guessed that...
WangoTango
Author-Supplied-Address.invalid says...
>
> Summary: Recent studies show homosexuals have a substantially greater risk
> of suffering from a psychiatric problems than do heterosexuals. We see
> higher rates of suicide, depression, bulimia, antisocial personality
> disorder, and substance abuse. This paper highlights some new and
> significant considerations that reflect on the question of those mental
> illnesses and on their possible sources.
>
loving Christian family members will do to you.
Pithy and Original
"WangoTango" <Asga...@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.2884f983f...@news.east.earthlink.net...
Yeah, christians make great friends and family, wot?
Maryann Chonglips
Is he taking care of bidness?
Bet he makes you <sigh> <wot>?
WangoTango
Noneofyou...@invalid.cam says...
I have a young man staying with us because his loving Christian family
threw him out for being an atheist.
(¯`·.¸ Craig Chilton ¸.·´¯) <http://www.LayoffRemedy.com>
"WangoTango" <Asga...@mindspring.com> wrote:
> <SMISp.30036$z67....@newsfe10.iad> wrote:
>> "WangoTango" <Asga...@mindspring.com> wrote:
>>> "Justferd" wrote:
>>>> Summary: Recent studies show homosexuals have a substantially
>>>> greater risk of suffering from a psychiatric problems than do hetero-
>>>> sexuals. We see higher rates of suicide, depression, bulimia, antisocial
>>>> personality disorder, and substance abuse. This paper highlights some
>>>> new and significant considerations that reflect on the question of those
>>>> mental illnesses and on their possible sources.
>>> Yep, amazing what being persecuted by society and ostracized by your
>>> loving Christian family members will do to you.
>> Yeah, Christians make great friends and family, wot?
> I have a young man staying with us because his loving Christian
> family threw him out for being an atheist.
Many PSEUDO-Christians *are* that MORONIC!!!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Today Christians ... stand at the head of [this country]...
I pledge that I never will tie myself to parties who want to destroy
Christianity .. We want to fill our culture again with the Christian
spirit ... We want to burn out all the recent immoral developments in
literature, in the theater, and in the press - in short, we want to
burn out the poison of immorality which has entered into our whole
life and culture as a result of liberal excess during the past ...
(few) years."
- Adolf Hitler, quoted in: The Speeches of Adolf Hitler, 1922-1939,
Vol. 1 (London, Oxford University Press, 1942), pg. 871-872
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
-- Craig Chilton (E-Mail me if you wish, from top 6 websites below.)