Monosexism as an Additional Dimension of Minority Stress Affecting Mental Health among Bisexual and Pansexual Individuals in Hong Kong: The Role of Gender and Sexual Identity Integration

• Published in: The Journal of sex research Vol. 60; no. 5; pp. 704 - 717
• Main Authors: Chan, Randolph C. H., Leung, Janice Sin Yu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Taylor & Francis 13.06.2023; Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality
• Subjects: Anxiety; Authenticity; Bisexuality; Bisexuality - psychology; Discrimination; Female; Gender; Gender differences; Gender Identity; Heterosexism; Hong Kong; Humans; Insight; Male; Mental depression; Mental Health; Negation; Psychological intervention; Public policy; Sexual and Gender Minorities; Sexual Behavior - psychology; Sexuality; Symptoms; Hong Kong; Hong Kong China; China
• ISSN: 0022-4499; 1559-8519
• DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2022.2119546

Monosexism has been increasingly recognized as a minority stressor uniquely experienced by plurisexual individuals. The present study investigated the effects of monosexist discrimination on mental health and examined the moderating role of gender and sexual identity integration (i.e., negation, authenticity, and disclosure). In a sample of 314 bisexual and pansexual individuals in Hong Kong (73.9% women and 26.1% men), the results showed that monosexist discrimination was associated with higher levels of depression and anxiety symptoms, above and beyond heterosexist discrimination. The association between monosexist discrimination and depression symptoms was stronger among bisexual and pansexual men than women, despite there being no gender differences in vulnerability to monosexist discrimination. Moreover, sexual identity negation, authenticity, and disclosure moderated the associations of monosexist discrimination with depression and anxiety symptoms, such that the associations were not significant among those with more positive integration of sexual identity (i.e., lower levels of sexual identity negation as well as higher levels of sexual identity authenticity and disclosure). This study provides insight into the deleterious impact of monosexism and the protective role of sexual identity integration. Implications for plurisexual-affirming psychological intervention, public policy, and community practice are discussed.