LGBTIQ+ & Mental Health
If you live with a mental health condition and identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and/or questioning (LGBTQ), it’s important to prioritize your mental health. Not all members of the LGBTQ community will have the same experiences. However, discrimination, prejudice, denial of civil and human rights, harassment and family rejection are still tragically common for people with these identities.
LGBTQ people with mental health conditions may also find themselves fighting a double stigma. Many will experience prejudice based on their sexual and/or gender identity as well as the stigma associated with mental illness. Confronting these challenges and mental health symptoms with an LGBTQ-inclusive therapist can lead to better outcomes, and even recovery.
Early intervention, comprehensive treatment and family support are key to helping LGBTQ people live well with a mental health condition. But many people in this community struggle in silence—and face worse health outcomes as a result.
LGB adults are more than twice as likely as heterosexual adults to experience a mental health condition
LGBTQ people are at a higher risk than the general population for suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts
High school students who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual are almost five times as likely to attempt suicide compared to their heterosexual peers
48% of all transgender adults report that they have considered suicide in the past 12 months, compared to 4% of the overall US population
Support & Resources
Here are some links to helpful articles to support the LGBTQ Community::
"Cultivating Self-Acceptance in the LGBTQIA+ Community"
How to Support the LGBTQIA+ Community
How You Can Help LGBTQIA+ Youth Mental Health" - with VIDEO
It's Time to Talk About Suicide in the LGBTQIA+ Community
LGBTQ Center Orange County
The LGBTQ Center OC’s mission is to advocate on behalf of the Orange County Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender and Queer/Questioning communities
and provide services that ensure its well-being and positive identity.
LGBTQ Center Orange County, 1605 N. Spurgeon Street, Santa Ana, CA 92701 (Main Location) • LGBTQ Center on 4th, 305 E. 4th Street, Santa Ana, CA 92701
P: (714) 953-LGBTQ (5428) • E: info@lgbtcenteroc.org
https://www.lgbtqcenteroc.org
Additional Resources:
The American Psychological Association (APA) provides countless educational and support resources on a range of LGBTQ topics
The Association for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Issues in Counseling delivers educational and support resources for LGBTQ individuals, as well as promoting competency on LGBTQ issues for counseling professionals
The Association of Gay and Lesbian Psychiatrists offers numerous resources for LGBT individuals experiencing mental health conditions and psychiatric professionals with LGBT clients
The National Center for Transgender Equality offers resources for transgender individuals, including information on the right to access health care
The Trevor Project is a support network for LGBTQ youth providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention, including a 24-hour text line (Text “START” to 678678)
The LGBT National Help Center offers confidential peer support connections for LGBT youth, adults and seniors including phone, text and online chat
The Gay and Lesbian Medical Association's Provider Directory is a search tool that can locate a LGBTQ-inclusive health care provider