The aim of the current study was to identify the age at which sexual orientation disparity in mental health diagnoses can be first identified, as well as gender and sexual identity subgroup differences in such treatment, in a population-based sample. Young people aged 16 to 25 (N = 10,406) participating in the probability-based Swedish National Public Health Survey in 2018 were included. This sample was linked to physician-assessed mental health care treatment history data starting when all participants were 8 years old using national health care registries. Participants reporting a sexual minority identity in adolescence and young adulthood were more than 3 times as likely to have been treated for an internalizing disorder diagnosis (eg, depression, anxiety) and more than twice as likely to have been treated for a neurodevelopmental disorder diagnosis during childhood than participants reporting a heterosexual identity. Sexual minority participants overall and women in particular were more likely to have been treated for an internalizing disorder diagnosis at an early age compared with heterosexual participants, with this disparity starting at age 13. The sexual orientation disparity in likelihood of treatment for a neurodevelopmental disorder diagnosis was particularly elevated among bisexual/pansexual women with this disparity starting in early/middle adolescence. This population-based study linked to physician-assessed mental health diagnoses during childhood and adolescence identifies the age at which sexual orientation differences in treatment for common mental disorders emerge. The early emergence of this disparity suggests a potential benefit of interventions that facilitate social belonging for all youth.

中文翻译：

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心理健康诊断首次治疗年龄的性取向差异：一项基于儿童和青少年时期的人群研究


当前研究的目的是确定在基于人群的样本中首次发现心理健康诊断中的性取向差异的年龄，以及此类治疗中的性别和性认同亚组差异。 2018 年参加基于概率的瑞典国家公共卫生调查的 16 至 25 岁年轻人（N = 10,406）被纳入其中。该样本与医生评估的精神卫生保健治疗历史数据相关联，这些数据从所有参与者 8 岁时开始使用国家卫生保健登记处进行评估。在青春期和成年早期报告性少数群体身份的参与者，因内化障碍诊断（例如抑郁、焦虑）而接受治疗的可能性是其三倍以上，在同一时期因神经发育障碍诊断而接受治疗的可能性是其两倍以上。童年时期比报告异性恋身份的参与者要多。总体而言，与异性恋参与者相比，性少数参与者，尤其是女性，更有可能在很小的时候就接受内化障碍诊断治疗，这种差异从 13 岁开始。 性取向差异在神经发育障碍诊断治疗可能性中的差异在双性恋/泛性恋女性中这一比例尤其高，这种差异从青春期早期/中期开始。这项基于人群的研究与医生评估的儿童和青春期心理健康诊断相关，确定了常见精神障碍治疗中出现性取向差异的年龄。这种差异的早期出现表明促进所有青年社会归属感的干预措施具有潜在的好处。