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Does it Get Better? Change in Depressive Symptoms from Late-Adolescence to Early-Adulthood, Disordered Eating Behaviors, and Sexual Identity.

Author
Abstract
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Sexual minority youth are often described as at-risk for mental health comorbidities, including disordered eating behavior (DEB) and depression. This study assesses differences in late-adolescent DEB and depressive symptoms among gay/lesbian, bisexual, or mostly-heterosexual individuals, and how their symptoms change across early-adulthood. While sexual minority youth were more likely to report DEB and elevated depressive symptoms in late-adolescence relative to exclusively heterosexual peers, gay/lesbian individuals experienced improvement in early-adulthood depressive symptoms. Conversely, bisexual individuals maintained elevated depressive symptoms into early-adulthood, and additional depressive symptoms associated with DEB. DEB may be a unique risk-factor shaping the mental health of bisexual youth.

Year of Publication
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0
Journal
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Journal of gay & lesbian mental health
Volume
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23
Issue
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2
Number of Pages
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221-243
Date Published
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2019
ISSN Number
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1935-9705
DOI
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10.1080/19359705.2019.1568944
Short Title
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J Gay Lesbian Ment Health
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