Persistent and multisite homophobic harassment during childhood and adolescence and its association with school difficulties in gay and bisexual men in Taiwan

Illegal substance use in sexual minorities is an important health issue worldwide. The present cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the multi-dimensional factors associated with illegal substance use among gay and bisexual men in Taiwan. This questionnaire-survey study recruited 500 gay or bisexual men aged between 20 and 25 years. Their experiences of using eight kinds of illegal substances in the preceding month were collected. Their previous experiences of homophobic bullying, satisfaction with academic performance, truancy, perceived family and peer support in childhood and adolescence, and social-demographic characteristics, were also collected. Potential factors associated with illegal substance use were identified using univariate logistic regression, and further selected into a forward stepwise logistic regression model to identify the factors most significantly related to illegal substance use. A total of 22 (4.4%) participants reported illegal substance use in the preceding month, and mean age was 22.9 ± 1.6. Forward stepwise logistic regression revealed that being victims of homophobic cyberbullying in childhood and adolescence (odds ratio (OR) = 1.26; p = 0.011), disclosure of sexual orientation at junior high school (OR = 4.67; p = 0.001), and missing classes or truancy in senior high school (OR = 2.52; p = 0.041) were significantly associated with illegal substance use in early adulthood. Multi-dimensional factors in childhood and adolescence that were significantly associated with illegal substance use in early adulthood among gay and bisexual men were identified. Besides traditional bullying, the effect of cyberbullying and school performance on illegal substance use should not be ignored. This study is limited to the cross-sectional design and possible recall bias. Mental health professionals must routinely assess these significant factors to prevent and intervene in illegal substance use among gay and bisexual men.

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Mediating Effects of Emotional Symptoms on the Association between Homophobic Bullying Victimization and Problematic Internet/Smartphone Use among Gay and Bisexual Men in Taiwan

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17103386 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (10) ◽

pp. 3386 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Dian-Jeng Li ◽

Yu-Ping Chang ◽

Yi-Lung Chen ◽

Cheng-Fang Yen

Keyword(s):

Early Adulthood ◽

Gay And Bisexual Men ◽

Mediating Effect ◽

Bullying Victimization ◽

Childhood And Adolescence ◽

Bisexual Men ◽

Emotional Symptoms ◽

Homophobic Bullying ◽

Smartphone Use ◽

And Bisexual

Problematic internet/smartphone use (PI/SU) and homophobic bullying has become a new type of mental health problem among sexual minorities. However, few studies have investigated the mediators of the association between these factors. We aimed to develop a model to estimate the mediating effect of emotional symptoms, including depression and anxiety, on this association among gay and bisexual men in Taiwan. In total, 500 gay or bisexual men in early adulthood were recruited, and their histories of homophobic bullying victimization during childhood and adolescence, current severity of PI/SU, and current emotional symptoms were evaluated using self-administered questionnaires. A mediation model was developed to test the mediating effect of emotional symptoms on the association between homophobic bullying victimization and PI/SU. In total, 190 (38%) and 201 (40.2%) of the participants had experiences of traditional and cyber homophobic bullying victimization, respectively. A higher level of homophobic bullying victimization was significantly associated with a more severe level of PI/SU, and this was mediated by a higher severity of emotional symptoms. There was a significant effect of emotional symptoms on the association between homophobic bullying victimization and PI/SU. Timely interventions for emotional symptoms are necessary for gay and bisexual men, especially for those who are victims of homophobic bullying.

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Factors Affecting Painkillers, Sedatives/Hypnotics, Nicotine, and Unhealthy Alcohol Use Among Gay and Bisexual Men in Taiwan

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17030851 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (3) ◽

pp. 851 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Dian-Jeng Li ◽

Shiou-Lan Chen ◽

Yu-Ping Chang ◽

Cheng-Fang Yen

Keyword(s):

Substance Use ◽

Alcohol Use ◽

Early Adulthood ◽

Gay And Bisexual Men ◽

Childhood And Adolescence ◽

Bisexual Men ◽

Unhealthy Alcohol Use ◽

Unhealthy Alcohol ◽

Homophobic Bullying ◽

And Bisexual

Substance use has become a major health problem globally for sexual minorities. However, few studies have explored multi-dimensional factors associated with smoking, drinking, and prescription drug use. We aimed to investigate the factors affecting painkiller, sedative/hypnotic, nicotine and unhealthy alcohol use among gay and bisexual men in Taiwan. We recruited 500 gay or bisexual men and assessed their experiences of using painkillers, sedatives/hypnotics, nicotine, alcohol and multi-dimensional factors with self-reported questionnaires. Multivariate logistic regression with a forward stepwise model was used to verify the factors associated with substance use. Overall, 9.4%, 5.4%, and 13.8% of the participants reported using painkillers, sedatives/hypnotics, and nicotine, respectively, and 5.6% reported unhealthy alcohol use. Victims of traditional homophobic bullying in childhood and adolescence were more likely to report nicotine use, sedative/hypnotic use, and unhealthy alcohol use in early adulthood than non-victims. Missing classes or truancy at senior high school was associated with painkiller and sedative/hypnotic use in early adulthood. Traditional homophobic bullying and missing classes or truancy in childhood and adolescence predicted substance use in early adulthood among the gay and bisexual men in this study. Timely preventions and interventions for substance use are crucial for gay and bisexual men, especially for those who experience homophobic bullying and missing classes or truancy.

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