Sexual Identity Fluidity and Depressive Symptoms: Findings From a National Longitudinal Study of Sexual Minority Adolescents

Purpose: Sexual minority adolescents (SMAs) consistently report elevated risk of mental health symptoms, including depression. Sexual identities may change over time (referred as sexual identity fluidity), particularly during adolescence. This study examined the effect of sexual identity fluidity on depressive symptoms over time. Methods: National longitudinal data were analyzed from SMAs aged 14–17 years (N = 1,077) in the adolescent stress experiences over time study during an 18-month period. Multigroup time-varying covariate latent growth models were employed to examine the effect of sexual identity fluidity on depressive symptoms. Results: In the sample, 40% of SMAs reported at least 1 change in sexual identity during an 18-month period. Cisgender females reported sexual identity fluidity at a higher rate than their male counterparts (46.9% vs. 26.6%, respectively). In our first model (total sample), a change in sexual identity was associated with reporting fewer depressive symptoms (b = −0.591, p = .004). In our multigroup model (by sex assigned at birth), a change in sexual identity was significantly associated with reporting fewer depressive symptoms among cisgender females (b = −0.591, p < .01). However, there was no significant effect found among cisgender males. The models controlled for age and race or ethnicity. Discussion: The results add to the limited knowledge on the complex relationship between sexual identity fluidity and mental health risks over time among adolescents. Our results indicate that sexual identity development and change processes differ between cisgender females and males. The nuances associated with these sexual identity processes need further investigation.