A major study of life satisfaction among sexual minorities in the United Kingdom and Australia has been published by the Journal of Economic Behaviour and Organisation.
In the report Lesbian, gay and bisexual persons in both countries are found to be significantly less satisfied with their lives than otherwise comparable heterosexual persons.
The report was put together by academics from the London School of Economics and the University of Melbourne, using two data sets: 33,000 people from the UK Household Longitudinal Study and 12,400 people from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey.
The data was then used to estimate a simultaneous equations model of life satisfaction, where self-reported sexual identity was mapped against levels of life satisfaction both directly and indirectly through seven different channels:
(i) income
(ii) employment
(iii) health
(iv) marriage and de facto relationships
(v) children
(vi) friendship networks and
(vii) education
Some of the top-line key findings are:
♦ bisexuals in both countries are the least satisfied with life and report worse health outcomes
♦ gay and lesbian people in Australia report better life satisfaction than their UK counterparts
♦ bisexuals tend to be from lower-income households and are less likely to be employed than heterosexuals
♦ gays and lesbians in Australia are as healthy as Australian heterosexuals, while there is a larger differential in health among gay and lesbian individuals in the UK when compared to UK heterosexuals
♦ findings suggest that the social stigma surrounding gay and lesbians in Australia has dropped markedly and is now largely absent
♦ there is little evidence that lesbian women in the UK have lower levels of life satisfaction than heterosexual women – this stands in marked contrast to gay men in the UK and in Australia and lesbian women in Australia
♦ older gays, lesbians and bisexuals do not report a lower life satisfaction to the same degree as their younger counterparts, suggesting that they have a) fewer hardships; b) they have come to terms with and adjusted to any stigma and discrimination; or c) they may be more likely to misrepresent their sexual orientation than younger GLBs.
For information on the full report, click here:
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