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A new study published in the Journal of Psychology and Sexuality looked at polyamorous and ambiamorous adolescents.

“This study examines the social and mental health experiences of polyamorous and ambiamorous LGBTQ+ adolescents (ages 12 to 17) compared to their LGBTQ+ peers,” study author Traci K. Gillig told us. “Specifically, the study tests for baseline differences in depressive symptoms and anxiety between these two groups and changes in these outcomes over time.” 

It also explores polyamorous and ambiamorous LGBTQ+ adolescents' identity-related experiences in their home community, including their perceptions of feeling safe (or not) being open about their poly/ambi identity.

“We expected polyamorous and ambiamorous adolescents would have higher levels of baseline depressive symptoms and anxiety, compared their peers in the study,” Gillig told us. “We predicted that the mental health of all participants would improve during their participating in an affirming summer camp program. Finally, we predicted that poly/ambi adolescents would have greater reductions in depressive symptoms and anxiety during camp, compared to their peers.”

Gillig conducted the study because the leadership of Camp Brave Trails recognized that an increasing number of their campers were identifying as polyamorous, and they were interested in better understanding the prevalence of this identity among their campers. The researchers also sought to understand the experiences of these campers in their home communities and at camp.

“We administered surveys before and after the summer camp sessions in 2024, capturing youth's experiences through scales and their written responses to open-ended questions,” Gillig told us. “At baseline, poly/ambi adolescents had higher levels of depressive symptoms than their peers. All adolescents experienced reduced depressive symptoms and anxiety during camp." 

Thematic analysis of campers' written responses revealed that poly/ambi adolescents tended to not feel safe to disclose their identity in their home community due to stigmatization of polyamory, people’s lack of understanding of polyamory, and uncertainty or fear about people’s reactions. Poly/ambi adolescents who did feel safe in their home community tended to describe supportive or indifferent community attitudes toward polyamory, knowing other polyamorous com- munity members, and comfort with one’s identity.

“Many results aligned with our hypotheses,” Gillig told us. “However, we expected poly/ambi campers to have higher levels of anxiety at baseline, and differences in these levels weren't statistically significant.” 

The researchers also predicted poly/ambi adolescents would have greater reductions in depressive symptoms and anxiety at camp, and they found no statistically significant differences.

“This study makes more visible the experiences of polyamorous and ambiamorous adolescents,” Gillig told us. “We hope it provides a foundation for further research seeking to understand the experiences and needs of these youth, including means for helping improve their social experiences and mental health.”