Lack of social support linked to higher level of loneliness among bisexual individuals

According to an EHU study, lack of social support leads to increased loneliness of bisexual people. The work by Garikoitz Azkona of the Psychobiology group explored the relationship between sexual orientation and loneliness. It detected the highest level of loneliness among bisexual people, above that of homosexuals and heterosexuals. It revealed that bisexual individuals have less social support and concluded that this intensifies their loneliness. The study calls for the adopting of measures to improve the wellbeing of the bisexual population.

A study by the University of the Basque Country (EHU) measured the level of loneliness of bisexual, homosexual and heterosexual people and examined the effect exerted on them by social support and mental wellbeing.

We set out to produce an X-ray of the current situation. When embarking on this research we expected the scientific paper to show that today, by now, in the Basque Country, whatever the sexual orientation might be, the feeling of loneliness would be the same. But that was not the case. It is true that we did not see any significant difference between homosexuals and heterosexuals, but the results revealed that even today bisexual individuals experience greater loneliness."

Garikoitz Azkona, University of the Basque Country

The EHU research drew conclusions from the questionnaire responses given by participants with the 3 sexual orientations (bisexual, homosexual and heterosexual) in Navarre and the Basque Autonomous Community. Specifically, the study showed that 13% of bisexual individuals suffer great loneliness, and 64% moderate loneliness. By contrast, the majority of homosexuals and heterosexuals expressed a low degree of loneliness.

Azkona explained that this does not mean that sexual orientation is a predictor of loneliness. "In other words, one is not predestined to feel lonely because one is bisexual. The research showed that the direct determining factor is not sexual orientation. Whereas social support and mental wellbeing is."

When examining these two variables, the EHU research revealed that the situation of bisexual individuals is worse and, in actual fact, their loneliness is intensified as a result of them. Indeed, when the respondents were asked whether they had someone to turn to when they needed company, emotional or practical help, the bisexual individuals said they had fewer people available; fewer than homosexuals and heterosexuals. And it was confirmed that this perception of having limited help networks reduces psychological wellbeing and increases loneliness. "Loneliness intensifies if someone does not feel that they are part of a community, and that seems to be particularly the case with bisexual individuals. In the case of homosexual individuals, the situation would appear to have changed; work has been done and, despite the fact that it is not a normative sexual orientation, the increase in acceptance by society and individuals has been achieved. Bisexuality, on the other hand, is still being questioned and there are many prejudices," said Azkona.

Intervention on two fronts, individual and social, to address the loneliness of bisexuals

Faced with the situation depicted by the results, the researchers stress that measures need to be adopted. "In the surveys we conducted for our research, in which many participants were young university students, we are increasingly seeing that more and more people are identifying as bisexual. For example, 22% in the ongoing study I am working on. Such high values used not to emerge a few years ago. If the number of people in the bisexual cohort is rising, and, as a society, if we are not ready, many will experience the loneliness revealed by our research. So if we want to improve the wellbeing of this population, we have to do our homework."

They propose two kinds of measures. Firstly, individual ones: those geared towards reinforcing the self-esteem, identity, stress management and help networks of bisexual individuals. And secondly, of a social nature: education programmes to work on respect for sexual diversity, actions to support both the acceptance of bisexuality and its integration into society.