While belonging to the LGBTQ community can be a source of strength, it also brings unique challenges. For those who identify as LGBTQ , it’s important to recognize how your experience of sexual orientation and gender identity relates to your mental health. For many LGBTQ people, socioeconomic and cultural conditions negatively impact mental health conditions. Many in the LGBTQ community face discrimination, prejudice, denial of civil and human rights, harassment and family rejection, which can lead to new or worsened symptoms, particularly for those with intersecting racial or socioeconomic identities.
Although the full range of LGBTQ identities are not commonly included in large-scale studies of mental health, there is strong evidence from recent research that members of this community are at a higher risk for experiencing mental health conditions — especially depression and anxiety disorders. LGBTQ adults are more than twice as likely as heterosexual adults to experience a mental health condition. Transgender individuals are nearly four times as likely as cisgender individuals (people whose gender identity corresponds with their birth sex) individuals to experience a mental health condition.
LGBTQ youth also experience greater risk for mental health conditions and suicidality. LGBTQ youth are more than twice as likely to report experiencing persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness than their heterosexual peers. Transgender youth face further disparities as they are twice as likely to experience depressive symptoms, seriously consider suicide, and attempt suicide compared to cisgender lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer and questioning youth.
Positive changes in societal acceptance of LGBTQ people act as a protective factor for mental health.
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