Bipositive events: Associations with proximal stressors, bisexual identity, and mental health among bisexual cisgender women

Accumulating evidence indicates that bisexual individuals are at increased risk for mental health disorders compared with heterosexual and lesbian/gay populations. Research has also begun to suggest that the stigmatization of bisexuality underlies these disparities. However, factors that may promote mental health among bisexual individuals have received minimal research attention. The current weekly diary study examined a factor that may promote mental health: bipositive events (positive events related to one's bisexual identity) and its associations with changes in proximal stressors (internalized binegativity, sexual identity uncertainty, and rejection sensitivity), bisexual identity (identity affirmation, strength of identification), and symptoms of anxiety and depression among bisexual cisgender women. Results indicate that experiencing more frequent interpersonal (but not intrapersonal) bipositive events during a particular week predicted subsequent decreases in anxiety. Additionally, experiencing more bipositive events (both intrapersonal and interpersonal) over the course of the study predicted cumulative decreases in proximal stressors (internalized binegativity, sexual identity uncertainty, and rejection sensitivity), increases in bisexual identity affirmation and strength of identification as bisexual, and decreases in anxiety and depression. Indirect effects analyses indicate bipositive events may impact mental health via these cumulative decreases in proximal stressors and increases in strength of identification as bisexual. These findings suggest that bipositive events may be a protective factor that promotes resilience and bisexual mental health. Implications for clinical interventions are discussed.