Sexual orientation and poor psychological health: a population-based study.

The purpose of this study was to analyse associations between sexual orientation and poor psychological health. This was a cross-sectional study. The 2012 public health survey in Scania, Southern Sweden, is a cross-sectional population-based study with 28,029 participants aged 18–80 years. Logistic regression analyses were performed. The prevalence of poor psychological health (measured using the General Health Questionnaire [GHQ]-12) was 16.3% among men and 22.4% among women. Bisexual men and women had significantly higher odds ratios of poor psychological health throughout the multiple analyses than heterosexual individuals. In contrast, the odds ratios of poor psychological health among gay men and lesbian women were not significantly higher. Respondents with bisexual orientation have increased risk of poor psychological health. • Sexual orientation and psychological health should be studied in population-based studies. • Bisexuals of both sexes, but not gay men or lesbian women, reported poorer psychological health than heterosexuals. • The findings may reflect changes in legal conditions regarding same-sex marriage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]