Mental Health in the LGBTQIA+ Community

June is Pride Month, and during this month (and every month) we want to raise awareness of LGBTQIA+ mental health and some of the challenges faced by this community.

What Does LGBTQIA+ Stand For?

LGBTQIA stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bi+, Trans and non-binary, Queer and questioning, Intersex and Ace and aro. If you’re not familiar with some of these terms, we’d encourage you to research each one to have more of an understanding around gender identities. The ‘plus’ represents other experiences and identities not named in LGBTQIA. Some people feel they don’t need to define themselves with any terms. Or that these terms don’t represent their unique experiences and needs.

Challenges for LGBTQIA+ People

Mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, eating problems, low self-esteem, stress and suicidal feelings can affect anyone, but according to mental health charity Mind (2024) they’re more common among people who are LGBTQIA+.

Being LGBTQIA+ isn’t a mental health problem, and it doesn’t cause these problems. But some things LGBTQIA+ people go through can affect their mental health, such as discrimination, stigma, homophobia or transphobia, social isolation, rejection, and difficult experiences of coming out.

It’s important to note that embracing being LGBTQIA+ can have a positive impact on someone’s wellbeing too! It might mean they have more confidence, a sense of belonging to a community, feelings of relief and self-acceptance, and better relationships with friends and family.

Click here to hear Christine talk about her experiences of seeking help after her wife passed away.

How to Look After Your Mental health:

1. Talk to someone you trust:

It might feel hard to start talking about how you are feeling, but many people find that sharing their experiences can help them feel better. It may be that just having someone listen to you and show they care can help in itself.

2. Peer Support:

Making connections with people who have similar or shared experiences can be really helpful. This could be other people with mental health problems, or other LGBTQIA+ people, or both.

3. Self-Care:

Self-care means things we do for ourselves to help improve our mental and physical health. Internalised homophobia, biphobia or transphobia might mean you struggle to be kind to yourself, but practicing self-care can help boost your self-esteem. Take a look at this Mind article for more tips and support around self-care and supporting your whole person wellbeing.

Professional Support for LGBTQIA+ Mental Health:

It’s important to remember that you deserve support and respect, whatever your identity or background, and you have legal rights to access healthcare without discrimination. There are lots of organisations which specialise in supporting LGBTQIA+ people, here are a few you can reach out to:

• akt– supports young LGBTQIA+ people aged 16 to 25 who are homeless or living in a hostile environment.

• Gendered Intelligence – a trans-led charity that works to increase the quality of young trans people’s lives under the age of 25, and provides information for their parents and carers.

• Imaan – supports LGBTQIA+ Muslims, and provides an online forum where people can share experiences and ask for help.

• Consortium– search their database of LGBTQIA+ groups, projects and organisations to find services near you, including mental health services.

• Stonewall – offers help and advice for LGBTQIA+ people and their allies on a range of issues.

• Switchboard – offers listening services, information and support. All their volunteers are LGBTQIA+.