Outness Profiles and Mental Health in Brazilian Lesbian Women: a Cluster Analysis

Introduction Lesbian women experience situations of discrimination and prejudice that require them to constantly negotiate the disclosure of their sexual orientation. The quality of this negotiation can post either a positive or negative effect on their mental health. Methods The present study aimed to characterize outness profiles in lesbian women. Profile differences were verified according to sociodemographic as well as health care access data. An anonymous self-applicable instrument was used to perform an online study in the year of 2019 with 1146 women who self-identified as lesbian and that lived in Brazil in the year before data collection. Participants responded instruments concerning sociodemographic and health care access data, internalized homophobia, general outness, and distress levels. Results Through cluster analytic method, four outness profiles were identified: Functional Outness (n = 328; 28,62%), Functional Concealment (n = 273; 23,83%), Dysfunctional Outness (n = 385; 33,60%), and Dysfunctional Concealment (n = 160, 13,96%). Functionality was determined by low levels of distress. Differences were observed among cluster groups with regard to their socio-demographic and health care access data. Conclusion It is argued that the differences (sociodemographic as well as health care access data) observed among the four cluster groups interfere in the way lesbian women negotiate disclosure which, in turn, alters the effect of outness and internalized homophobia in their mental health. Policy Implications Brazilian studies involving outness especially in lesbian women are incipient. Health professionals need to be aware of the influence of outness in the health care of lesbian women. This awareness should be introduced in academic formation and endorsed through professional updating.