ABSTRACT
Several studies have looked at reasons midlife lesbians seek counseling. Razzano, Matthews, and Hughes (2002) compared the mental health indicators and services utilization factors in a community sample of sixty-three lesbians and a matched sample of fifty-seven heterosexual women. The average age was forty years old. The sample was diverse: 37 percent Caucasian, 28 percent African American, 25 percent Latino (Mexican, Puerto Rican, or Cuban), 7 percent Asian/Pacific Islander, and 3 percent American Indian. More than half (57 percent) were currently married or in a committed relationship. Most had some post-high school education (5 percent with some college or a bachelor's degree); 15 percent a high school education or less. Almost one-third (29 percent) had graduate or professional degrees. Nearly two-thirds were working full time (58 percent), working part time 17 percent, 9 percent unemployed but looking for work. Some (10 percent) were retired or not working due to disability; 5 percent were not currently looking for work. The midlife lesbians reported more use of services in the past five years. There was no significant difference regarding inability to obtain mental health services in the past five years, but a higher proportion of midlife lesbians than heterosexual women reported unmet needs for services from Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA) (13 versus 2 percent, significant), and other mental health services (18 versus 4 percent, significant). Significantly more midlife lesbians reported past use of mental health and alcohol and drug-related services, indicating that they were more likely to have sought treatment than heterosexual women. Significantly more midlife lesbians reported past use of antidepressant 146medications (38 versus 19 percent). A markedly higher proportion of this group reported feelings of depression and issues related to sexual orientation as reasons for seeking mental health services. It was not clear if midlife lesbians are more likely to seek mental health services or genuinely do have higher rates of mental health difficulties. Also, the stress of being a lesbian in a heterosexist society, rather than a lesbian sexual identity itself, may have a stronger influence on the services utilization pattern of midlife lesbians. There was no significant difference between this group and heterosexual women in the history of child sexual experience, history of physical abuse, or current use of antidepressant medications. No significant differences occurred between the two groups of women for nervousness or anxiety, sexual problems, anger, problems sleeping, memory problems, problems with alcohol and or drugs, school and or behavior problems of children, relationship concerns, or other problems as reasons for using mental health services.
