Journals Information
Universal Journal of Public Health Vol. 13(6), pp. 1437 - 1446
DOI: 10.13189/ujph.2025.130603
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Association of Depression and Anxiety with Sexual Orientation in a Convenience Sample of Latvian Young Adults
Anatolijs Pozarskis 1,2,*, Anda Kivite-Urtane 3, Jelena Pozarska 4
1 Department of Residency, Riga Stradins University, Latvia
2 Health Care Department, Daugavpils University, Latvia
3 Institute of Public Health, Riga Stradins University, Latvia
4 Private Practice, 31 Ventspils Street, Daugavpils, LV – 5401, Latvia
ABSTRACT
Aim of the study: To examine sexual orientation among Latvian young adults aged 18 to 30 years and its association with symptoms of depression and anxiety. Material and methods: Data were obtained through a self-administered, anonymous, web-based survey. To evaluate the relationships among variables, descriptive statistics as well as univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted. Results: A total of 503 individuals participated in the study, comprising 365 females, 133 males, and 5 participants identifying as other genders. The mean age of respondents was 23.0 years (SD = 3.7). The mean Kinsey score was 1.4 (SD = 1.8), with a median of 1.0 (IQR: 0–2.0), where a score of 1 corresponds to individuals who are predominantly heterosexual with minimal same-sex attraction, and a score of 2 indicates predominantly heterosexual individuals with more than minimal same-sex attraction. Exposure to violence was reported by 20.3% of participants. The prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms was 56.3% and 37.6%, respectively. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that a history of violence was significantly associated with increased odds of both anxiety (OR = 2.6; 95% CI: 1.7–4.0) and depression (OR = 2.4; 95% CI: 1.5–3.9). Male gender and a monthly income in the range of €1001–€2000 were associated with reduced odds of experiencing anxiety (OR = 0.4; 95% CI: 0.2–0.5, and aOR = 0.3; 95% CI: 0.1–0.8, respectively). Conclusions: No statistically significant association was found between sexual orientation and the presence of anxiety or depression symptoms (OR = 1.1; 95% CI: 1.0–1.2 and OR = 1.1; 95% CI: 1.02–1.2, respectively).
KEYWORDS
Depression, Anxiety, Sexual Orientation, Violence, Mental Health
Cite This Paper in IEEE or APA Citation Styles
(a). IEEE Format:
[1] Anatolijs Pozarskis , Anda Kivite-Urtane , Jelena Pozarska , "Association of Depression and Anxiety with Sexual Orientation in a Convenience Sample of Latvian Young Adults," Universal Journal of Public Health, Vol. 13, No. 6, pp. 1437 - 1446, 2025. DOI: 10.13189/ujph.2025.130603.
(b). APA Format:
Anatolijs Pozarskis , Anda Kivite-Urtane , Jelena Pozarska (2025). Association of Depression and Anxiety with Sexual Orientation in a Convenience Sample of Latvian Young Adults. Universal Journal of Public Health, 13(6), 1437 - 1446. DOI: 10.13189/ujph.2025.130603.