The Effects of Polyvictimization on Mental and Physical Health Outcomes in an LGBTQ Sample

AbstractLesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) individuals are at elevated risk for violent victimization and often experience increased health disparities compared to their non ‐LGBTQ counterparts. The present study examined associations between polyvictimization and mental and physical health in an LGBTQ sample. Participants included 385 LGBTQ individuals involved in a larger health‐needs assessment of LGBTQ individuals living in the southeastern United States. The sa mple primarily identified as gay/lesbian (63.4%), cisgender (78.7%), and White (66.5%), and the mean participant age was 34.82 years (SD = 13.45). A latent class analysis (LCA) was conducted on seven items assessing different types of violence exposure. The LCA identified a three ‐class model, with classes characterized by low trauma exposure (71.4%), nondiscriminatory violence (15.1%), and high trauma exposure (13.5%). Differences in demographic characteristics, perceptions of mental and physical health, and diagnoses of specific health conditions were assessed across cla sses. The high‐trauma class reported poorer perceived physical and mental health compared to the other two classes, with mean differences in past‐month poor health days ranging from 11.38 to 17.37. There were no differences between the classes regarding specific physical health conditions; howev er, the high‐trauma and nondiscriminatory violence classes had significantly higher rates of anxiety, depres...
Source: Journal of Traumatic Stress - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: RESEARCH ARTICLE Source Type: research