Gay and bisexual men and heterosexual women are less stressed than heterosexual men , according to the latest study carried out by the Center for Studies on Human Stress at the Montreal University Institute of Mental Health under the supervision of the Department of Psychiatry of the University of Montreal (Canada).
Taking into account previous studies in which it was stated that bisexual women suffer from more mental disorders than lesbians , the aim of the study was to equate the reaction to stress of lesbians, gays and bisexuals with heterosexual people, to further delve into this variable that associates sexual orientation and mental health.
Thus, the researchers had the participation of 87 men and women with an average age of 25 who took blood and saliva samples (after exposure to a stressor) and measured their levels of cortisol, the hormone secreted under situations of stress that puts our body in a state of alert
” By observing certain criteria of psychological well-being, cortisol and blood samples, we have been able to determine the biological profiles of the participants and if the mental and physical health differs between homosexuals and bisexuals and heterosexual people”, explains Robert- Paul Juster, study leader.
According to the work, when comparing the reaction in terms of stress factors related to performance, gay and bisexual men appeared to have a lower rate of reaction to stressful situations compared to heterosexual men. Heterosexual men had much stronger and more pronounced biological responses than gay men and bisexual men . “In contrast, stress hormone levels were higher in lesbian and bisexual women, who have a similar profile to heterosexual men,” the authors explain.
The results have confirmed for the first time u na significant relationship between stress tolerance and sexual orientation. According to Juster, “stress related to social stigma encourages sexual minorities to develop coping strategies that make them better able to handle stress.” Therefore, not only men and women react differently to stress, but our sexual orientation also makes another difference .
The study has been published in the journal Biological Psychiatry .
