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While over the years society has come a long way in becoming more accepting of the LGBTQ+ community, there are still many misunderstandings that can occur. This can be blamed on a ton of things, whether it’s lack of academic and medical research or few existing policies that protect and serve this community.
However, the first step to debunking stereotypes about marginalized communities is by promoting the facts that we do know. Here are some things you might not have known about the LGBTQ+ community in terms of mental health.
-Gay men are three times more likely to experience depression compared with the general adult population
–25 percent of LGBTQ people deal with alcohol abuse, which is a much higher rater than the 5-10 percent of cisgender heterosexual people
-Gay men are 3.5 times more likely to smoke marijuana, 12.2 times more likely to ingest amphetamines, and 9.5 times more likely to use heroin than heterosexual men
-Queer and trans individuals use tobacco as much as 200 percent more than their non-LGBTQ peers
–40 percent of bisexual people have considered or attempted suicide, compared to just over a quarter of gay men and lesbians
-For LGBTQ people aged 10–24, suicide is one of the leading causes of death
-Over 41 percent of trans men and women are estimated to have attempted suicide, nearly nine times as high as the rate of cisgender Americans, with trans folks of color being at increased risk than white trans individuals
-Gay men are at a higher risk for developing eating disorders
–90 percent of LGBT youth reported reservations about discussing their sexual orientation with their clinicians
-LGBT individuals are estimated to have incomes under 400 percent of the federal poverty level, almost 4 in 10 had medical debt and 4 in 10 reported postponing medical care due to costs, making it difficult to receive mental health assistance.
