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Monday, August 31, 2009

Influence of gender, sexual orientation, and need on treatment utilization for substance use and mental disorders: Findings from the California Quality of Life Survey
BMC Psychiatry 2009, 9:52

Prior research has shown a higher prevalence of substance use and mental disorders among sexual minorities, however, the influence of sexual orientation on treatment seeking has not been widely studied. We use a model of help-seeking for vulnerable populations to investigate factors related to treatment for alcohol or drug use disorders and mental health disorders, focusing on the contributions of gender, sexual orientation, and need.

The study highlights the need to better understand the factors beyond meetingdiagnostic criteria that underlie treatment utilization among sexual minorities. Future researchshould also aim to ascertain the effects of treatment provided to sexual minorities with and without diagnosable disorders, including the possibility that the provision of such treatment may educe the likelihood of their progression to greater severity of distress, disorders, or mpairments in functioning.

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