Differences in Mental Health Between Female Sexual Minority and Heterosexual Youth with a Substance Use Disorder Who Are Experiencing Homelessness.

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine differences in mental health outcomes of two groups within youth experiencing homelessness (YEH) and who have a substance use disorder (SUD): sexual minority (SM) and heterosexual females. Methods: This study used baseline data from four randomized clinical trials of substance use interventions for YEH with a SUD to examine differences in depression and suicidality between SM and heterosexual female youth. Participants were between 12 and 24 years of age. Meta-analytic methods were used to aggregate data across studies to estimate differences in mental health. Results: Results indicated that female SM-YEH had higher depression symptoms (Hedge's g [g]=0.20; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.01-0.39), higher risk of a history of suicide behavior (risk ratio = 1.63; 95% CI: 1.17-2.27), and a greater number of suicide behaviors (g = 0.31; 95% CI: 0.09-0.54) compared to their heterosexual peers. These effect sizes were not moderated by age. Conclusion: Female SM-YEH had elevated levels of depression and suicidality compared to their heterosexual peers. The findings of this study align with research on mental health disparities between SM and heterosexual youth generally, which underscores the unique struggles and risks associated with identifying as a female SM-YEH with a SUD.