Depression in the LGBTQ+ community

Pod for One

The leading cause of death in LGBTQ+ youth ages 10 to 24 is suicide. Overall, LGBTQ+ individuals are 3 times more likely to suffer from some kind of mental illness than heterosexuals. There are a lot of factors that contribute to this statistic. One is the internal struggle with coming to terms with one’s own sexual orientation and/or sexual identity. Another contributing factor is societal stigma and outward discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals. If the person’s family or friends are not supportive, this is yet another factor. Coming out is a very personal experience that sometimes may invoke fear - the fear of rejection and the fear of judgement. LGBTQ+ individuals are also less likely to seek professional help due to the fear of going to a therapist who may not be LGBTQ+ friendly. The cycle continues and suicide becomes the last resort. LGBTQ+ youth are 8 times more likely to commit suicide than heterosexual youth if they do not have supportive families. LGBTQ+ folks may hold back their mental illness diagnosis from family and friends due to fear of the stigma involved with having a mental illness. Depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar, and more mental health issues often go undiagnosed among LGBTQ+ individuals. We need to help end discrimination based on sexual orientation and identity and we need to end the stigma against mental health.