Exploring Psychological Factors that Affect Gay and Bisexual Men’s Life Satisfaction

Abstract

Gay and bisexual men have been reported to have a higher risk of suicide attempts. Establishing support methods to improve the mental health of gay and bisexual men is urgent. This study aimed to clarify the psychological factors that influence life satisfaction. Thus, an internet survey of gay and bisexual men aged ≥ 20 years was conducted. Questionnaire items included basic attributes; interpersonal relations; mental health (the Japanese-language edition of the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, or K6); loneliness (the revised UCLA Loneliness Scale); satisfaction with life (Satisfaction with Life Scale); self-esteem (State Self-Esteem Scale); sense of coherence (the 13 items on the Japanese SOC Scale, or SOC-13); and coping behaviors (the Japanese language edition of Brief Cope). The questionnaire was accessed by 1,877 people, of which 499 people in the analysis. Four factors were extracted by multiple regression analysis with life satisfaction as the dependent variable: self-esteem (β = 0.586), loneliness (β = –0.170), positive reinterpretation (β = 0.101), and acceptance (β = 0.063). Thus, considering the development of programs to improve the mental health of gay and bisexual men is necessary based on these results.