Examine the psychosocial factors that affect lesbian and bisexual women’s mental health
This essential guide presents up-to-date, evidence-based information that can be implemented to improve mental health services for lesbian and bisexual women in a variety of settings. It examines the systemic factors that play a role in their psychological and emotional well-being, and presents new research on protective factors that play an important role when lesbian/bisexual women face depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders.
Lesbian and Bisexual Women’s Mental Health reviews the past literature on mental health and sexual orientation—citing biased and inadequate assessment, diagnosis, and treatment approaches currently in use in the care of lesbian and bisexual women. This essential guide for clinicians and researchers presents new empirical research on lesbian/bisexual women’s mental health. It explores specific challenges that face various lesbian and bisexual female populations, with research on:
dysthymia
depression and anxiety—including a chapter on depressive distress among African-American women
the way that community size and religiosity impact lesbian/bisexual women’s psychosexual development
the relationship between shame and a client’s attachment style
the mental health implications of same-sex marriage
mental health in Taiwan’s T-Po lesbian community—with a focus on community members’ sexual orientation, gender roles, and gender identity
the interconnectedness of sexual fantasies, psychological adjustment, and clossb...
