An Online Survey on the Mental Health of Lesbian and Bisexual Women in Japan

This study was a survey to clarify the mechanisms of mental health deterioration among lesbian and bisexual women in Japan, focusing on the relationships among factors and the changes in their influence over time. The participants were lesbian, bisexual, and heterosexual women, between 20 and 69 years old, living in Japan (excluding students and foreign nationals). The survey was conducted online through a private research company. Respondents included 1,952 lesbian and bisexual women and 927 heterosexual women. The final sample, after data cleaning, included 1,936 lesbian and bisexual women and 927 heterosexual women. Mean age was 32.19 and 38.96 years for lesbian and bisexual women and heterosexual women, respectively. Mental health was assessed with the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale. Mean score on the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale of lesbian and bisexual women was higher than that of heterosexual women, and mental health among lesbian and bisexual women was poorer compared with heterosexual women. The percentage of lesbian and bisexual women who experienced bullying and harassment, which is assumed to be one of the factors affecting mental health, was higher than that of heterosexual women, and the cross-tabulation results suggested a relationship between the two variables.