Internalized Homonegativity and Mental Health Among Chinese Gay and Bisexual Cisgender Men: Exploring the Moderating Influences of Psychosocial and Sexual Identity Factors.

Much research on Chinese gay and bisexual men has focused on sexual health and, in particular, HIV-related issues. However, relatively little research has considered psychosocial aspects of being a gay or bisexual man in China. The present study was designed to address this gap by examining psychosocial predictors of mental health from a minority stress perspective.

A Brief, Daily, Online Mental Health and Well-being Intervention for University Staff During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Program Description and Outcomes Using a Mixed Methods Design.

Background: The unprecedented changes and isolation measures to contain COVID-19 have had multiple psychological and social impacts, with implications for professional and personal functioning. Evidence-informed interventions that can be rapidly implemented under pandemic conditions to support mental health during such times are urgently needed.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the acceptability and preliminary outcomes of a daily online mental health promotion program for tertiary education staff during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Body Appreciation Scale (BAS-2): measurement invariance across genders and item response theory examination.

Background: The present study considers a measure of positive body image, the Body Appreciation Scale-2, which assesses acceptance and/or favourable opinions towards the body (BAS-2). Potential variations of the psychometric properties of the scale across males and females, as well as across its different items invite for further investigation. The present study contributes to this area of knowledge via the employment of gender Measurement Invariance (MI) and Item Response Theory (IRT) analyses.

Body Image Disturbances as Predictors of Reduced Mental Health Among Australian Gay Men: Being in a Relationship Does Not Serve as a Protective Factor.

Past studies have demonstrated associations between gay men's body image disturbances and poorer mental health. However, little research has considered whether relationship status, or sexual agreements within relationships, moderates these associations. The present study was designed to address this gap.

The Mental Health Impact of Physical Appearance Concerns in the Context of Other Life Domains Among Australian Gay Men.

Previous studies have identified gay men as a high-risk population for body image disturbances. However, little research has examined the mental health impact of gay men's physical appearance concerns in the context of other major life domains. The present study addressed this gap by investigating how mental health outcomes (satisfaction with life, self-esteem, positive well-being, and psychological distress) were associated with satisfaction with and importance of physical appearance, work, family relationships, friendships, health and fitness, and sex life among Australian gay men aged 18-39.

Rural-urban differences in mental health, resilience, stigma, and social support among young Australian gay men.

Purpose: Depression and anxiety are common among young gay men, particularly in comparison with their heterosexual counterparts. Little is known about the mental health and well-being of those living in rural areas, where access to support and opportunities for connecting with other gay men may be relatively limited. We examined differences in the well-being of young rural and urban Australian gay men, including mental health, resilience, stigma-related challenges, and social support.

Health disparities among common subcultural identities of young gay men: physical, mental, and sexual health.

Researchers, policymakers, and health agencies have tended to treat gay men as a relatively homogeneous population, with little attention given to its many subcultural identities. In this study, we focused on young gay men and investigated a range of health-related differences according to common subcultural identities, such as Bear, Cub, and Twink. In a nationwide cross-sectional online survey of 1,034 Australian gay men aged 18-39 years, 44% reported a subcultural identity, the two most common being Cub (9%) and Twink (20%).

Australian gay men's satisfaction with sexual agreements: the roles of relationship quality, jealousy, and monogamy attitudes.

This study examined whether relationship quality, dispositional jealousy, and attitudes towards monogamy were associated with gay men's satisfaction with the agreements they have in their relationships about extra-dyadic sex. Three types of sexual agreement were examined: closed (no extra-dyadic sex is allowed), monogamish (extra-dyadic sex is allowed only when both members of the couple are present), and open (extra-dyadic sex is allowed). Results from a 2010 survey of 772 gay men in relationships indicated that sexual agreement satisfaction was positively associated with levels of intimacy and commitment for all three types of sexual agreement, but was differentially associated with sexual satisfaction within the relationship, jealousy, and monogamy attitudes as a function of sexual agreement type.

Prevalence and correlates of sexual partner concurrency among Australian gay men aged 18-39 years.

Mathematical models predict higher rates of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in populations with higher rates of concurrent sexual partnerships. Although gay men and other men who have sex with men (MSM) have disproportionately high rates of HIV/STIs, little is known about the prevalence and correlates of sexual concurrency in these populations. This paper reports findings from a national community-based survey of 1,034 Australian gay-identified men aged 18-39 years, who gave detailed information about their sexual partners over the past 12 months.

Agreements about extra-dyadic sex in gay men's relationships: exploring differences in relationship quality by agreement type and rule-breaking behavior.

Research comparing the quality of monogamous and non-monogamous ("open") relationships among gay men has produced mixed findings. In addition, little is known about the consequences of breaking the rules of relationship agreements about extra-dyadic sex. Results from a survey of 229 gay men in romantic relationships showed that open relationships were less passionate, but no less intimate or committed, than monogamous or "threesome-only" relationships.

Satisfaction with open sexual agreements in Australian gay men's relationships: the role of perceived discrepancies in benefit.

This study investigated whether satisfaction with open sexual agreements in gay men's relationships was associated with perceptions of discrepancies in the benefit experienced from those agreements. Three types of perceived discrepancy between the self and the relationship partner were examined: frequency of casual sex, attractiveness of casual partners, and "overall" benefit. Results from a survey conducted in 2010 of 685 Australian gay men in relationships with open agreements showed that men perceiving discrepancies in benefit, particularly those representing "under-benefit", were less satisfied with their agreement than were men perceiving equal benefit.

Using Cognitive Interviewing and Behavioral Coding to Determine Measurement Equivalence across Linguistic and Cultural Groups: An Example from the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Project.

The present study aimed to examine and compare results from two questionnaire pretesting methods (i.e., behavioral coding and cognitive interviewing) in order to assess systematic measurement bias in survey questions for adult smokers across six countries (USA, Australia, Uruguay, Mexico, Malaysia and Thailand).

The effects of smoking norms and attitudes on quitting intentions in Malaysia, Thailand and four Western nations: a cross-cultural comparison.

This research investigated the influence of smoking attitudes and norms on quitting intentions in two predominantly collectivistic countries (Malaysia and Thailand) and four predominantly individualistic Western countries (Canada, USA, UK and Australia). Data from the International Tobacco Control Project (N = 13,062) revealed that higher odds of intending to quit were associated with negative personal attitudes in Thailand and the Western countries, but not in Malaysia; with norms against smoking from significant others in Malaysia and the Western countries, but not in Thailand; and with societal norms against smoking in all countries. Our findings indicate that normative factors are important determinants of intentions, but they play a different role in different cultural and/or tobacco control contexts.

How reactions to cigarette packet health warnings influence quitting: findings from the ITC Four-Country survey.

Objectives: To examine prospectively the impact of health warnings on quitting activity.

Design: Five waves (2002-06) of a cohort survey where reactions to health warnings at one survey wave are used to predict cessation activity at the next wave, controlling for country (proxy for warning differences) and other factors. These analyses were replicated on four wave-to-wave transitions.