Experiences of Discrimination, Mental Health, and Substance Use among Bisexual Young Adults

Research suggests that experiences of anti-bisexual discrimination, otherwise known as biphobia, contributes to increased risk for mental health and substance use problems for bisexual individuals. The current study assessed whether experiences of biphobia predicted reporting symptoms of anxiety and depression as well as substance use. Data from 226 bisexual participants (ages 21–35) were collected online from March 2019 until August 2019. Results from two linear regressions indicated that experiences of biphobia significantly correlated with scores on depression and anxiety measures. Five binary logistic regressions were performed to assess whether experiences of biphobia predicted past 3 month alcohol use, nicotine use, cannabis use, and non-medical use of prescription drugs (NMUPD) after controlling for demographic variables. Biphobia significantly predicted the use of alcohol, nicotine, and non-medical use of all four classes of prescription drugs. Findings suggest that for young, bisexual adults, experiences of biphobia may substantially influence their mental and physical well-being.