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Psychiatric disorders, suicidality, and personality among young men by sexual orientation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 April 2020

J. Wang ,
M. Dey ,
L. Soldati ,
M.G. Weiss ,
G. Gmel  and
M. Mohler-Kuo
J. Wang*
Affiliation:
Institute for Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Zurich Hirschengraben 84, 8001Zurich, Switzerland Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute Socinstrasse 57, 4002Basel, Switzerland
M. Dey
Affiliation:
Institute for Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Zurich Hirschengraben 84, 8001Zurich, Switzerland
L. Soldati
Affiliation:
Department of Mental Health and Psychiatry, Geneva University Hospital rue de Lausanne 20, 1201GenevaSwitzerland
M.G. Weiss
Affiliation:
Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute Socinstrasse 57, 4002Basel, Switzerland University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
G. Gmel
Affiliation:
Alcohol Treatment Center, University Hospital of Lausanne avenue Beaumont 21 bis, Pavillon 2, 1011Lausanne, Switzerland
M. Mohler-Kuo
Affiliation:
Institute for Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Zurich Hirschengraben 84, 8001Zurich, Switzerland
*
*Corresponding author. Institute for Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Zurich, Hirschengraben 84, 8001 Zurich, Switzerland. Tel.: +41 44 634 46 49; fax: +41 44 634 49 86. E-mail address: jwang@ifspm.uzh.ch (J. Wang).
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Abstract

Personality and its potential role in mediating risk of psychiatric disorders and suicidality are assessed by sexual orientation, using data collected among young Swiss men (n = 5875) recruited while presenting for mandatory military conscription. Mental health outcomes were analyzed by sexual attraction using logistic regression, controlling for five-factor model personality traits and socio-demographics. Homo/bisexual men demonstrated the highest scores for neuroticism-anxiety but the lowest for sociability and sensation seeking, with no differences for aggression-hostility. Among homo/bisexual men, 10.2% fulfilled diagnostic criteria for major depression in the past 2 weeks, 10.8% for ADHD in the past 12 months, 13.8% for lifetime anti-social personality disorder (ASPD), and 6.0% attempted suicide in the past 12 months. Upon adjusting (AOR) for personality traits, their odds ratios (OR) for major depression (OR = 4.78, 95% CI 2.81–8.14; AOR = 1.46, 95% CI 0.80–2.65) and ADHD (OR = 2.17, 95% CI = 1.31–3.58; AOR = 1.00, 95% CI 0.58–1.75) lost statistical significance, and the odds ratio for suicide attempt was halved (OR = 5.10, 95% CI 2.57–10.1; AOR = 2.42, 95% CI 1.16–5.02). There are noteworthy differences in personality traits by sexual orientation, and much of the increased mental morbidity appears to be accounted for by such underlying differences, with important implications for etiology and treatment.

Keywords

DepressionADHDAnti-social personality disorderSuicidalityPersonalityHomosexuality
Type
Original article
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 29 , Issue 8 , October 2014 , pp. 514 - 522
Copyright
Copyright © Elsevier Masson SAS 2014

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