Perceived social support for help-seeking behaviors of black heterosexual and homosexually active women alcoholics

V. Mays, L. Beckman, E. Oranchak

70 African American women in alcoholism treatment centers completed a self-administered questionnaire assessing their perceived emotional and tangible support for entry into treatment for alcoholism and alcohol abuse. Heterosexual women perceived more sources of family, casual, male, and overall support than did lesbian or bisexual women. Quality of perceived emotional support did not differ significantly for heterosexual and lesbian or bisexual women. Findings of differences in sources of perceived support particularly from family of origin as a function of sexual orientation suggests that the same social network may provide different levels and types of support to lesbian and bisxual versus heterosexual Black women alcoholics.