While many university students test their drinking limits over the course of a typical four-year degree, a new study by the University of Missouri indicates that students who don’t identify as either heterosexual or homosexual are more likely to abuse alcohol than those who do.
“Women and men whose sexual orientation was in flux during the college years…were those most likely to endorse using alcohol as a means to cope with negative affect or to fit in with a desired social group,” the study stated.
The study followed more than 2,000 students over the course of their four year university degree.
The study was based on what the authors called recognized facets of sexual orientation: a student’s sexual self-identification, attraction, and behaviour. Twice an academic year, the students were surveyed on the latter criteria.
Within the survey existed various categories of self-identification, including: exclusively homosexual, primarily homosexual, equally homosexual and heterosexual, primarily heterosexual and exclusively heterosexual. The study considered the three categories that fell in middle were of those students whose sexual orientation was in the “flux” during their time in school.
The study then assessed alcohol use on an 8-point scale over a period of three months to determine which category was more likely to misuse alcohol during their time as an undergraduate.
The study found that sexual minority individuals were more likely to use alcohol as a coping mechanism than their heterosexual or homosexual peers, who mainly used it in a social manner.
They also found that women were more likely to experience sexual orientation flux within these years.
Riley Evans, a second year Carleton student who identifies as bisexual, said he isn’t surprised by the results of the study.
Marginalization from both the queer and straight communities results in an ever shrinking support network, which in his belief, can often lead to substance abuse, he said.
“… It is an extremely confusing and stressful experience,” Evans said.
“I can speak from experience in saying that trying to understand and redefine your sexual orientation is often not very fun.”
The belief that individuals can only be attracted to one gender greatly produces stigma around those identifying as bisexual or pansexual, Evans said.
He said while some, like himself, are confident in this area, those who are sexually fluid are constantly redefining their identity and their preference.
“Many sexually fluid people constantly have to redefine themselves …they often have to go through the strenuous “coming out” process all over again.”
The remoteness Evans described is reiterated in the findings of the study, which indicated that “sexual questioning is often accompanied by increased feelings of alienation and isolation.”
Evans said despite his belief that the results of the study are accurate, he would have liked to see more intersectionality within the study in order to see the other contributing factors to alcohol abuse.
“The point being, while the study suggests that bi/pan and fluid people are both more likely to abuse alcohol than hetero or homosexual folks, the reasons and factors behind the abuse may be very different,” he said.
