Research Study on the Well-Being of Bisexual Men

[spartca]

Does anyone know of any such study? Enquiring minds want to know!

[leizy]

I'm not totally sure what you mean by well-being, but this is an excerpt from my review of bisexual research literature:

Research with bisexuals has yielded confused results. Some research has supported higher levels of depression, anxiety, suicidality and disturbed emotions in bisexuals, compared to both homosexuals and heterosexuals. However, despite these findings, other research, such as that conducted by researchers and writers Page, Lucksted and Moss, suggests that bisexuals access counseling and psychiatric services less than others, and may receive less effective services when they do seek counseling services. Bisexuals may be more susceptible to experiencing psychological disturbance related to their sexuality in younger years, around their twenties, when bisexual feelings typically begin to be reported and experienced, but any emotional disturbance related to their sexuality appears to subside with age as bisexuals become more comfortable with their sexuality. Bisexuals are especially susceptible to the damaging, unethical and unsupported efforts of those therapists who claim to be able to "treat" individuals for their homosexual urges. Some research regarding such efforts has documented increased social and emotional problems in people who have participated in so-called conversion therapies. The American Psychological Association, led by psychologist-researchers such as Fox recommends that psychologists should acknowledge that bisexual clients experience unique stressors, due to the invisibility of bisexuality, and that these stressors make counseling bisexuals a situation requiring careful and accurate approaches. In contrast to the findings of disturbed mental health histories among bisexuals, other studies have found no clear support for such views, and others have even suggested that bisexuality may act as a positive force in people's lives, affecting their relationships, life attitudes and roles in beneficial, transformative ways. One fascinating recent study by Rothblum and Factor examined sisters who were lesbian, bisexual or heterosexual, and found poorer mental health in bisexuals. Other research by Rothblum suggests that if poorer mental health outcomes are present in bisexuals, they may be due to the stresses of discrimination and the “secrecy” and invisibility of bisexuality; the more “out” bisexuals are, the less likely they are to present with mental health problems.

cheers -
david

[leizy]

Also - here's a well-done published review, from 2002

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3778/is_200201/ai_n9069533/print

[TorontoGuy2007]

amazingly enough, there is a study on this very topic here in toronto that will be taking place next week! i will be attending and i will let you know how it goes..

[Cerealk]

"The findings of this research demonstrate that bisexuality must be understood on its own terms-not merely as a combination of heterosexuality and homosexuality, but as a form of sexuality that offers the possibility for greater understanding of sexuality in general."

I like that sentence!

[spartca]

Hey thanks! :)

[FriedDuck]

oh brother sociology is such a bullshite study.

it doesnt REALLY prove anything, discover anything, is purely academic/outdated, and lots of study about bi men are done.

[Solomon]

oh brother sociology is such a bullshite study.

it doesnt REALLY prove anything, discover anything, is purely academic/outdated, and lots of study about bi men are done.

ok, name one that provided some actual clear results.

personally i found that reading a book on sociology when i moved to Canada from being in the states to be invaluable.

Canadians, and americans are different but the difference are very subtle. So in order to fit in i had to understand their perspective a little better so that at least it gave me a way to say to them that "hey, i'm different, here's how and i'm not acting that way to piss anyone off' kinda thing.

i'm grateful someone took the time to do their "bullshite" study so that i could at least keep a job for the money that we needed at the time.

maybe it would a good project to do our own study as a group, an see what we come up with?

[bi-robin-calif]

Oh, come on, Duck! Don't sugar-coat it--tell us how you really feel!