NEW YORK—Black gays, lesbians and bisexuals have a noticeably lower rate of mental disorders than their white and Latino counterparts, according to a study conducted by Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health.

The outcome surprised researchers, who had assumed that black GLBs would be at greater risk for mental disorders as a result of dealing with stresses related to both homophobia and racism. Instead, the researchers said, it’s possible that coping with racism leaves black GLBs better equipped to also deal with homophobia. Latino GLBs reported results similar to those of white study participants.

The study involved 388 black, white and Latino residents of New York City ages 18-59.

Researchers found that black and Latino GLBs reported more suicide attempts than white GLBs, a number predominately associated with younger ages.

The full findings of the study are being reported in the November issue of the American Journal of Public Health.