Self-esteem Among Young Bisexual Women in Norway: A 13-year Longitudinal Study

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The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between self-esteem, perception of social acceptance and feeling of loneliness in a sample of young bisexual, lesbian and heterosexual women, including assessing self-esteem longitudinally across 13 years. The analyses were based on self-completed questionnaires from the longitudinal study “Young in Norway” (13 years follow-up, 1992-2005). N=1,598 female participants at baseline and follow-up (45 bisexual women, 21 lesbian women, 1,532 heterosexual women), age 25-32 years at follow-up. At baseline, there were no differences in self-esteem, but at follow-up bisexual women reported lower self-esteem, lower levels of perceived acceptance, and higher levels of loneliness. For bisexual women, self-esteem did not increase from adolescence to adulthood. At follow-up, loneliness had a stronger connection with self-esteem among bisexual women compared to lesbian and heterosexual women. Different mechanisms may be involved in the self-esteem among bisexual, lesbian, and heterosexual women.
Original languageEnglish
JournalJournal of Bisexuality
Volume17
Issue number4
Pages (from-to)487-507
Number of pages21
ISSN1529-9716
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2017

    Research areas

  • sexual minority women, bisexual women, self-esteem, social acceptance, loneliness

ID: 188743462