The Brief Addiction Science Information Source (BASIS)

The DRAM, Vol. 13(7) – Extra walls: GLB individuals and additional barriers to alcohol treatment

As a group, gay, lesbian, and bisexual (GLB) individuals are more likely to suffer from alcohol use disorders than heterosexual individuals. They also use treatment services for alcohol use disorders at a higher rate than heterosexual individuals. What is not known, however, is whether GLB individuals are more likely than heterosexual individuals to use or gravitate towards one kind of treatment service over another (e.g., private therapists rather than clergy), or if GLB individuals experience additional barriers that might steer them away from treatment services in general. This week, as part of our Special Series on Addiction among the LGBTQ+... Read more →

The WAGER, Vol. 22(7) – Mental health and sexual orientation among people with Gambling Disorder

Although people who identify as LGBTQ+ have higher rates of mental health and substance use problems, which are risk factors for Gambling Disorder, few studies have examined how mental health, gambling, and sexual/gender identity intersect. In 2006, Jon Grant and Marc Potenza conducted the first and only study to examine the relationship between mental health and sexual orientation among a sample of people seeking treatment for gambling problems. This week, as a part of our Special Series on Addiction among the LGBTQ+ Community, The WAGER reviews their study. What was the research question? What is the relationship between psychiatric comorbidity... Read more →

STASH, Vol. 13(6) – When the solution is part of the problem: Illicit drug use amongst transgender and gender nonconforming individuals

Almost 1.4 million adults in the United States, about 0.6% of the population, identify as transgender. Transgender individuals identify as a gender that is different from what they were assigned at birth. This includes gender nonconforming or non-binary individuals who do not identify solely as a man or a woman. To be inclusive, we will use the term “transgender or gender nonconforming” or TGNC. TGNC individuals, and especially transgender women of color, often experience social stigma and discrimination, limited access to health care, and violence. Because of these experiences, TGNC individuals might be at increased risk for substance use disorders.... Read more →

Conversation with a stranger on an airplane… or how I came to study LGBTQ health

Editor’s Note: Professor Kimberly F. Balsam of Palo Alto University authored this op-ed as part of our Special Series on Addiction within the LGBTQ+ Community. Professor Balsam serves as Director of the LGBTQ Area of Emphasis and Co-Director of the Center for LGBTQ Evidence-Based Applied Research (CLEAR) at Palo Alto University. She is also the President of APA’s Division 44 (Society for the Psychological Study of LGBT Issues). “Are you married? What does your husband do? What did you do this weekend?” All of these are seemingly innocuous questions, unless you have to come out about your sexual orientation to... Read more →

ASHES, Vol. 13(6) - Where there’s smoke: LGB young adults' use of other tobacco products

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals are more likely than heterosexual individuals to smoke and use other tobacco products. Although acceptance of so-called sexual minorities has increased in recent years, coming out to friends, family, and coworkers can still be stressful. When LGB individuals are rejected by those they know, it can lead to an increase in both substance use and later substance misuse. This week, as part of our Special Series on Addiction among the LGBTQ+ Community, ASHES reviews a study by Fallin-Bennett and her colleagues that dives deeper into tobacco and nicotine use among LGB individuals by exploring... Read more →

Introduction to Special Series on Addiction among the LGBTQ+ Community

In many parts of the world, LGBTQ+ people (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning) have more rights than ever, yet LGBTQ+ people are more vulnerable than others to substance use disorders and other expressions of addiction. LGBTQ+ people, including those who identify as Intersex or Asexual, generally experience stressors on a daily basis that their heterosexual or cis-gender counterparts do not. From employment, housing, and health care discrimination to devastating family and social rejection, LGBTQ+ individuals are under a disproportionately greater number of daily stressors that put them at a disproportionately greater risk for engaging in a variety of risky behaviors... Read more →