1st Edition

Mental Health Issues for Sexual Minority Women Redefining Women's Mental Health

By Tonda Hughes, Carrol Smith, Alice Dan Copyright 2003
    176 Pages
    by Routledge

    176 Pages
    by Routledge

    Get a full understanding of lesbian mental health concerns!

    Mental Health Issues for Sexual Minority Women: Redefining Women's Mental Health presents much-needed research on sexual orientation and sexual minority populations missing from most mental health studies. This unique book identifies three areas of concern voiced in a 1999 Institute of Medicine report on lesbian health: whether lesbians are at a higher risk of mental health problems; the need for a better understanding of lesbian orientation and diversity in the lesbian population; and the need to eliminate barriers to mental health care services for lesbians. Mental Health Issues for Sexual Minority Women addresses those concerns with theoretical and empirical work that represents a broad range of disciplines and cultures.

    Mental Health Issues for Sexual Minority Women covers a unique and diverse range of topics missing from most books on lesbian health. The book includes original research on issues such as:

    • body image and attitudes toward eating and dieting
    • relationship satisfaction and conflicts
    • substance use and sexual victimization
    • risk factors for psychological distress among African-American lesbians
    • and much more!
    Mental Health Issues for Sexual Minority Women also includes reviews of literature on traumatic victimization, internalized homophobia, and mental health issues for lesbians with physical disabilities. This groundbreaking book is a unique resource for health researchers, clinicians, academics, and students in any health profession, including nursing, medicine, public health, social work, psychology, and sociology.

    • Foreword
    • Traumatic Victimization in the Lives of Lesbian and Bisexual Women: A Contextual Approach
    • The Effects of Sexual Orientation on Body Image and Attitudes About Eating and Weight
    • No Reflection in the Mirror: Challenges for Disabled Lesbians Accessing Mental Health Services
    • Psychological Distress in African American Lesbian and Heterosexual Women
    • Self-Reported Sexual Identity, Sexual Behaviors, and Health Risks: Examples from a Population-Based Survey of Young Women
    • Identity, Stigma Management, and Well-Being: A Comparison of Lesbians/Bisexual Women and Gay/Bisexual Men
    • A Comparative Study of Lesbian and Heterosexual Women in Committed Relationships
    • Internalized Homophobia in Lesbians
    • Sexual Minorities Seeking Services: A Retrospective Study of the Mental Health Concerns of Lesbian and Bisexual Women
    • Index
    • Reference Notes Included

    Biography

    Tonda Hughes, Carrol Smith, Alice Dan