Self-injury among bisexuals
Brendan Dunlop on non-suicidal self-injury among bisexuals, mental health, and bi-visibility.
Brendan Dunlop is currently completing a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology. He is a Clinical Psychologist in training at the University of Manchester (UK).
Why are you interested in research on bisexualilty?
As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I can recognise and understand feelings of marginalisation. However, what has struck me when researching bisexuality is the often cited feelings of not belonging to the LGBTQ+ community or the heterosexual/straight community, and the continued erasure and denial of the bisexual identity.
When looking at prevalence of self-injury in heterosexual vs. sexual minority people, bi people seemed to have elevated reports of this behaviour. Despite several studies reporting and noting this difference, no studies had investigated this increased prevalence of self-injurious behaviour for bisexual people only.
As part of my doctoral research I wanted to find out more about possible links between bisexuality and self-injurious behaviour.
I began to think about similarities and differences of experiences that bisexual people have when compared to other sexual minority groups, and how bisexual-specific experiences and difficulties (feelings of not belonging/bierasure/lower self-esteem?) could be related to this behaviour. These were and are, however, just hypotheses at the moment.
What is your research about?
The nature of my work is broadly the relationship between bisexuality and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). There is no current literature that investigates this topic. Meyer's (2003) Minority Stress Theory suggests that experiences of discrimination related to sexual minority status (and the navigation of a heteronormative world) can be extremely stressful, and lead to subsequent mental health difficulties (such as NSSI). However, not all sexual minorities are going to have the same experiences of discrimination/social stress. Investigation of the nuances relevant to bisexuality are important to capture, as this can inform prevention and intervention of NSSI.
I am currently part of two investigations in this area: an online survey-based study (the SIBL study: @siblstudy), and a qualitative interview study. Both studies look at the experiences of NSSI for young bi people (aged 16-25). The SIBL study asks young people to tell us about their experiences of biphobia, feelings of belonging, rumination and self-esteem alongside self-injury urges. It is hoped that we will be able to ascertain if a relationship exists between these variables and urges to self-injure.
Our interview study is hoping to further capture the experiences of sexuality and NSSI for young bi people, in their own words. We are also askieng about experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown.
We hope to be able to report of main 'themes' that young bi people tell us about their sexuality and self-injury, but also report on how this group has experienced the mass public health interventions imposed on them.
Finally, I have also recently completed a systematic review in this area, which highlighted the pertinent need for more research in this area. This used data from 24 independent studies to provide overall odds of NSSI when bi people were compared to others. A narrative synthesis highlighted some of the variables that the literature has reported as being associated with NSSI for bi people.
What are the most interesting facts that you have learned about bisexuality from your research?
The most interesting - but also most concerning - fact is that my systematic review paper found that
bisexual people had around six times the odds of engaging in NSSI when compared to heterosexual people for past year.
Even when compared to gay men, bi people had around four and a half times the odds (lifetime NSSI behaviour was the outcome). Even when outliers were removed from the meta-analysis calculations, these odds did not significantly change. This suggests there is a real difference in prevalence of NSSI amongst bi people when compared to others.
3 things you wish everyone knew about bisexuality?
That bisexual people exist as a separate, valid sexual orientation (and are not on 'a journey' to coming out as gay!)
That discrimination against bisexual people exists within, and outside of, the LGBTQ+ community.
That there are significant mental health discrepancies when bisexual people are compared to others (including NSSI, but also on other mental health difficulties such as anxiety or low mood).
How do you define bisexuality?
I find this question tricky, as I am not bisexual myself. Therefore my definition of bisexuality is based on what I know and what I have learned, rather than my own experience. Broadly speaking, I would define bisexuality as a spectrum of attraction to two or more genders (to a greater or lesser extent).
What do you think are the most pressing concerns within the bisexual community in 2020?
General bivisibility in all areas of life (to counter the experience of bierasure within and outside of the LGBTQ+ community).
Appropriate and representative portrayal of bisexuality in mainstream media (for example, that bisexual people will not necessarily cheat on their partners because of their inherent sexual orientation).
The potential feeling of isolation and estrangement from the LGBTQ+ community and the heterosexual/straight world (the feeling of "where do I belong?").
What bi research would you like people to know about?
Because I think the findings are very stark and important, I would have to say my recent systematic review on bisexuality and NSSI: Dunlop, B.J., Hartley, S., Oladokun, O. and Taylor, P. (2020). Bisexuality and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI): a narrative synthesis of associated variables and a meta-analysis of risk.
The heightened odds of NSSI associated with bisexuality are very important for mental health professionals, educators and LGBTQ+ support groups to be aware of. Equally, the fact that symptoms of anxiety and depression were found in this paper to be most commonly associated with NSSI for bi people suggests that this association requires more attention, as it could provide avenues for future prevention and intervention.
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