Minority stress and mental health of homosexual and bisexual men and women: A review of research on the minority stress model from a Croatian perspective

According to numerous research studies, homoand bisexual persons are twice as likely to develop mental health problems during their lifetime than heterosexual persons. The main goal of this review paper is to show how this higher incidence of poor mental health and well-being can be explained by the minority stress model. According to this model, sexual minorities are facing everyday challenges such as stigma, prejudice, and discrimination, which create a stressful environment for them. The paper explains the minority stress model proposed by Meyer and reviews current empirical findings supporting the model and its assumptions. Since social context is an integral part of this model, we review existing research that has examined parts of the minority stress model in Croatia, and look at the model from the perspective of contemporary Croatian society. Current research shows that different parts of the model are validated in the Croatian context. LGB persons who have experienced victimization and discrimination have poorer mental health. Concealing one’s sexual identity does seem to lead to fewer opportunities for victimization and discrimination, but it is also associated with low self-esteem and quality of life. On the other hand, being open about one’s sexual orientation is associated with greater well-being. Being involved and active in the LGB community seems to be the path leading to better visibility and acceptance of LGB’s in the Croatian society. Finally, this paper contributes to the enrichment of minority stress findings by including research on bisexual persons that points to the existence of extra added stress due to double discrimination of bisexual persons by both heterosexual and homosexual persons.