Does Dutch study really show queer women are more unhealthy and unhappy than straight women?

Interesting study. I agree, they should have gotten more information before they drew a conclusion, I would be more interested in knowing which age-group was more depressed, and whether the condition improves when you've been out for a while.

I was gonna say something like "Yet another example illustrating why psychologists shouldn't be allowed to engage in qualitative research" but thought that might offend someone.

Seriously though,  I can't read their research summary in full, (because it's in furrin) but my primary concern is around the methodology. So they did an _online_ survey of lesbian women in The Netherlands and then compared the results of that survey to surveys conducted with straight women? Or was it one big survey and the stratified the results by sexual orientation? What was the response rate in anyway?What was the inclusion criteria? Where did they get their stigamtisation scale?

I don't think your assertion about the _amount_ of lesbian and bisexual women is practicable. How would you measure that? How would estimate the population of queer women and then go on to report the numbers experiencing psychological issues?

Anyway, the findings of this study are actually in keeping with teh findings of other studies, so nothing they're reporting is that unusual. Also, I kinda object to your objection of the lesbians portrayed in the photo. While I appreciate that, yes, that picture does depict women who are obviously attending some kinda Pride Parade and was probably chosen to portray lesbians as exteme freaks, I am okay with these women. I am not into this thing where LGBT communities chose the most straight looking, traditional and conservatively dressed folk to represent them in the mainstream media. We come in all shapes and sizes and I ain't ashamed of those who are a little bit more extreme.

I have to say I'm surprised there were no researches done before this one in a country as liberal as the Netherlands. Sounds as if it was high time someone conducted one!

Regardless of the outcome, it now gives Dutch queer women the attention it needs. I hope it'll give you grants and fundings to projects to further assist those women in realizing their full potentials (read: living better, happier and healthier lives).

I have to say that from personal experience i would probably agree with the survey. When i left home to go to university not only did i find a brilliant gay community, but i also found within the people i met through the lgbtq society a brilliant community of women that suffered from depression and other mental health issues.

That isnt to say that all the women i met were like that, but many were and i began to ask myself if queer women were more likely to be depressed, or whether it was just that i had a knack to find people as crazy as me. (no offense meant)

As i got involved more in the lgbtq society over the next couple of years and began acting as a mentor to new students, i found that the two most common things people wanted to talk about was coming out and mental health issues. I'm glad a survey like this has been done, i hope it will encourage lgbtq groups to put funding into supporting those with mental health issues, as well as pride parades and club nights.

Ibster, thanks for your detailed and very scientific response. I have no idea what the background is of the researchers who conducted the study, but as a psychologist myself, I obviously disgree with your first comment ;-)

What they did was do an online study of queer women, who were recruited via several websites and other places, asking to click on a link to take part (so no information about response rate, but obviously there's always a selection bias), and compared their results to norm figures of the general female population.

Seeing the whole sample consists of queer women, it is very easy to assess the amount of women that experience psychological problems.

I agree that the findings are in line with previous studies. To respond to Lil G 's comment, some studies had been done previously, but what is new is that it is the first time such a large scale study was done on Dutch queer women.

My point about the Spits photograph was that we already get so little attention in the media, the one time we make headlines I don't want this photo to represent us. I have no problem with the women in the picture, nor would I mind if it was one of many different photos in one article.

Aubergine, all I could find out was that it was especially the under 25s (and also queer women over 50) who suffered depressing the most.

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Who doesn't have a blog these days?

it would seem to me that asking a group of marginalized people if they have problems and then compare them to the non-marginalized population this type of result would exist regardless the group. i am not sure how a lesbian is supposed to respond to psychological questioning while keeping 'the lesbian part' separate from the 'woman part' or the 'just being human part.'

yes, there are problems that lesbians face that the average non-lesbian may not encounter, but just being a woman can be challenging depending on work, life, marriage, children, parents, etc. and then what about those who suffer from depression etc, because it is genetic or because of living in negative environments (or so many other reasons). and i would guess that those external factors weigh heavily in the dealing with being gay thing.  

I admit that i often put little stock into these types of research projects (please don't hate me) but if you are going to put one together don't compare apples and oranges. there are way too many external factors that can tilt the results.

i forgot to mention that i agree about the pictures. we come in all shapes and sizes, just like everyone else, so either pick an average (yes, i realize this too is subjective) or show a variety. That said, those ladies are rockin' it in those outfits. ;-)

Well, I seriously have nothing to add (you have all done so wonderfully in the comments and in writing the article) but this:

I do NOT feel represented by those pictures!!!

Done.