Kazuhiko Nojima

The Effects of Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Gender Role on the Mental Health of Women in Taiwan's T-Po Lesbian Community

SUMMARY We obtained via the Internet a convenience sample of Taiwanese heterosexual (n = 287) and sexual minority females (n = 260). A significantly greater percentage of sexual minorities (lesbian and bisexual females) than heterosexuals reported they had used tobacco or alcohol. Relative to heterosexuals, sexual minorities were significantly more likely to report a serious suicide attempt. Overall, gender identity (masculine, feminine, and androgynous) and gender role (butch, femme, and pure or undifferentiated) were poor discriminators of lesbian mental health. Differences between sexual minorities and heterosexuals were more robust than were the variations in gender identities and gender roles among lesbian and bisexual women. We discuss the implications of these findings for further clinical research.

Mental Health and Sexual Orientation of Female in Taiwan : Using Internet as the research tool

This study is focused on the mental health of female in Taiwan with different sexual orientation using the Internet as the research tool. The result presented that the same sex orientation female in Taiwan are feeling more stress for being female and lesbian in the family, school and work. However they also showed more reluctant to seek the professional psychological help and medication. This study also analyzed the difference between selfidentified lesbian gender role in order to have more understanding about the relationship between lesbian subculture and mental health. The result showed that the butch lesbian reported the highest stress but the lowest mental health concems. On the other hand the pure lesbian expressed the highest rate of mental health problems.