Lesbians living in Australia: Sense of belonging and mental health.

It has been documented that lesbians are more likely to suffer from mental health problems than heterosexual females. The current research examined sense of belonging in the lesbian and general communities as predictors of stress, anxiety, depression and suicide ideation. Over 400 Victorian female heterosexuals and lesbians completed a questionnaire, with results indicating that lesbians experience a lessened sense of belonging and more stress and anxiety than heterosexual females. When analysing the responses of lesbians only, sense of belonging to both the general and lesbian communities was related to mental health, though the relationships were stronger between sense of belonging to the general community and stress, anxiety, depression and suicide ideation. Regression analyses indicated that sense of belonging to both communities was a protective factor against mental ill-health, and that sense of belonging to only one community or belonging to neither communities was related to poorer mental health. Interventions that increase a sense of belonging in lesbians are needed, as are interventions that reduce the levels of homophobia in Australia and promote acceptance of homosexuality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]