Poor sleep quality indirectly contributes to higher sexual risk-taking by increasing the likelihood of engaging in substance use among LGBTQ+ individuals

Sarı E., Durdu N., Ay B., SANCAK B.

Frontiers in Psychiatry, cilt.16, 2025 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 16
  • Basım Tarihi: 2025
  • Doi Numarası: 10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1613882
  • Dergi Adı: Frontiers in Psychiatry
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, EMBASE, Psycinfo, Directory of Open Access Journals
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: chemsex, health, LGBTQ+, risk-taking, sexuality, sleep, substance
  • Acıbadem Mehmet Ali Aydınlar Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Background: Poor sleep quality (PSQ) is disproportionately prevalent among LGBTQ+ individuals and has been linked to substance use, sexual dysfunction and sexual risk-taking (SRT). However, the interplay between sleep health, substance use, SRT, and sexual dysfunction remains underexplored in diverse LGBTQ+ populations. This study investigates whether substance use mediates the relationship between PSQ and SRT among LGBTQ+ individuals in Turkey. Methods: A cross-sectional survey, using snowball sampling was conducted among 249 LGBTQ+ individuals in Turkey. Measures included the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Index of Sexual Risk-Taking (ISRT), Arizona Sexual Experiences Scale (ASEX), AUDIT-C for alcohol use, and self-reported recent substance use. Logistic and linear regression analyses were used to assess associations between PSQ, substance use, and SRT. Mediation analysis was conducted using structural equation modeling (SEM). Results: PSQ was highly prevalent (80.7%) and significantly associated with alcohol use and chemsex-related substance use (CRSU). CRSU was strongly linked to increased SRT (β = 1.489, p <.001) and served as a significant mediator in the PSQ-SRT relationship (β = 1.045, p =.047). No significant mediation effect was found for alcohol use. Conclusion: Poor sleep quality indirectly contributes to higher sexual risk-taking among LGBTQ+ individuals by increasing the likelihood of engaging in chemsex-related substance use. These findings highlight the need for integrated public health interventions addressing sleep health, substance use, and sexual risk-taking in LGBTQ+ communities, particularly in settings with rising substance use rates.