Mental Health Stereotypes About Gay Men

Abstract

Three studies were conducted to examine the mental health stereotypes about gay men among college student and therapist trainee samples. Results from Study 1 indicated that (a) college students and therapist trainees endorsed a stereotype of the mental health of gay men that was similar in terms of its content and strength, and (b) the stereotype was consistent with five DSM-IV-TR disorder categories: mood, anxiety, sexual and gender identity, eating, and personality disorders. In Study 2 and 3 we investigated whether homophobia or a tendency to report cultural beliefs could account for the lack of difference between college students and therapist trainees. Results did not support either explanation.

Addressing Classism, Ableism, and Heterosexism in Counselor Education

“…This might include discussing the stereotypes that gay men and lesbians are more likely to be addicts, to be depressed, and/or to have body image issues than their heterosexual counterparts. Boysen, Vogel, Madon, and Wester (2006) suggested that such mental health stereotypes influence the quality of psychotherapy provided to queer people. Counselor educators are encouraged to infuse in-class activities that help students to analyze these stereotypes along with the connections that exist between them and the general oppression of queer people in society.…”

An Existential-Phenomenological Investigation of the Experience of Gay Men Acknowledging to Themselves that They are Attracted to Other Men

“…As the co-participants in this study revealed, experiencing a same-sex attraction is, in and of itself, extremely stress-provoking. Boysen, Vogel, Madon, and Wester (2006) examined the mental health stereotypes regarding gay men held by college students and therapists. Their study found that "gay men seek out counselling disproportionately more than their straight counterparts, and more largescale, representative, epidemiological studies have shown that gay men tend to suffer more frequently than straight men from certain mental health symptoms" (p. 70), including mood disorders, anxiety disorders, sexual and gender identity problems, and eating and personality disorders.…”

The Mental Health Stereotype About Gay Men: The Relation Between Gay Men's Self-Stereotype and Stereotypes About Heterosexual Women and Lesbians

“…Such a stereotype may reflect the historical period in which homosexuality was a diagnosable mental illness. Indeed, a recent study by Boysen et al (2006) found a specific mental health stereotype about gay men. The researchers presented college students and counselor trainees with a list of symptoms of mental illness and had them rate how characteristic the symptoms were of gay men.…”

“…Furthermore, individuals can possess stereotypes about their own social groups that affect beliefs and behaviors (Burkley & Blanton, 2009). Gay men are a social group that is the target of many stereotypes (Clausell & Fiske, 2005), and research indicates that one set of beliefs about gay men surrounds their mental health (Boysen, Vogel, Madon, & Wester, 2006). However, previous research does not indicate whether gay men hold a stereotype about their own mental health, the content of such a stereotype, or how it compares to mental health stereotypes about other groups.…”

“…With respect to social psychology, the gay male stereotype is an under-researched area that has only produced a few studies in the last decade (e.g., Clausell & Fiske, 2005;Fingerhut & Peplau, 2006), and only one previous study has specifically examined mental health stereotypes (Boysen et al, 2006). In terms of clinical psychology, some have argued that the lack of information about homosexuality is a hindrance to effective therapy with gay men (Eubanks-Carter, Burkell, & Goldfried, 2005).…”