Early studies with sexual minorities had significant methodological limitations, including sampling issues (i.e., reliance on non-probability samples) and lack of appropriate comparison groups. More recently, studies improving upon these limitations have revealed consistent disparities in the mental health of sexual minorities relative to heterosexuals. A recent meta-analysis found that sexual minorities are two-and-a-half times more likely to have a lifetime history of mental disorder compared with heterosexuals, and twice as likely to have a current mental disorder (Meyer, 2003). Below, population- and community-based studies demonstrating these disparities across internalizing and externalizing domains are briefly reviewed.
