UB School of Nursing Researchers Examine Link Between Peer Victimization and Sleep Quality in LGBQ+ Adolescents

Misol Kwon, post-doctoral research fellow at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and UB nursing PhD alumna, is the lead author of a recent study published in the Journal of Sleep Health. The study explores why sexually minoritized adolescents experience poorer sleep quality than their heterosexual peers.

Sexually minoritized youth include those who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, questioning (LGBQ+), or with sexual identities other than exclusively heterosexual.

UB School of Nursing researchers, Jennifer Livingston, associate professor; Weijun Wang, principal research scientist; and Amy Hequembourg, associate professor, co-authored the longitudinal study, which analyzed data from web-based surveys conducted over a 12-month period. The study included 800 adolescents, 57.5% of whom were female and approximately 19.4% of whom self-identified as LGBQ+.

“Our study found that sexual minority youth are more likely to experience peer victimization and receive less peer social support than their heterosexual peers,” Kwon said. “Our findings highlight the importance of fostering supportive social environments and addressing peer dynamics in efforts to improve sleep health among LGBQ+ adolescents.”

The study found that LGBQ+ adolescents report poorer sleep quality, lower perceived social support and greater peer victimization compared to their heterosexual peers.

Livingston noted that future research utilizing daily reporting in conjunction with actigraphy, a non-invasive approach to measuring sleep-wake activity and rest over time, “… would provide a more nuanced understanding of the acute, daily level effects of peer victimization and social support on LGBQ+ adolescents’ sleep quality.”

Wang echoed the need for future research to investigate the roles of family and school support in mitigating the impact of peer victimization on sleep.

Hequembourg explained the importance of furthering this research to ensure LGBQ+ adolescents can access equitable and competent health care.

“The impact of political and cultural stressors on individual health outcomes among LGBQ+ adolescents also warrants further investigation,” Hequembourg said. “Heightened vigilance for physical violence from peers at school and others in the public sphere impose significant stress on queer youth and are associated with poorer mental health outcomes, including increased suicidality, self-harm, anxiety and depression.”

BY SHANNON O'SULLIVAN