Table 2.
Differences between Sexual Minority Girls and Heterosexual Girls in Rates of Mental Health Symptoms and Problems (N = 527)
| Sexual minority girls (n=31) | Heterosexual girls (n=496) | Effect size (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Substance use (past y) | |||
| Cigarette use (n) | 36% (11) | 19% (92) | OR=2.42* (1.12–5.22) |
| Alcohol use (n) | 58% (18) | 37% (182) | OR=2.37* (1.13–4.95) |
| Heavy alcohol use (n/no. of drinkers) | 67% (12/18) | 41% (75/182) | OR=2.85* (1.03–7.94) |
| Marijuana use (n) | 32% (10) | 21% (102) | OR=2.39 (0.84–4.03) |
| Externalizing symptoms | |||
| ODD (SD) | 7.1 (4.2) | 5.1 (3.7) | d =.48** |
| CD (SD) | 2.2 (3.0) | 1.3 (2.0) | d =.35* |
| Internalizing symptoms | |||
| Depression (SD) | 11.4 (6.6) | 7.5 (4.7) | d =.69** |
| Anxiety (SD) | 19.4 (12.1) | 15.5 (9.5) | d =.58* |
| Borderline personality (SD) | 4.2 (2.8) | 2.8 (2.2) | d =.37** |
| Suicidal ideation, past 2 wk (n) | 12.9% (4) | 3.4% (17) | OR=4.17** (1.31–13.36) |
| Suicidal ideation, past 12 mo (n) | 29.0% (9) | 7.7% (38) | OR=4.93*** (2.12–11.46) |
| Self-harm, past 12 mo (n) | 12.9% (4) | 2.0% (10) | OR=7.20*** (2.12–24.45) |
Abbreviations: CD, conduct disorder; CI, confidence interval; d, Cohen’s d, or standardized mean difference; ODD, oppositional defiant disorder; OR, odds ratio; SD, standard deviation
*
P< .05
**
P< .01
***
P< .001