Depression in LGBTQ+ Communities

When discussing mental health in marginalized communities, particularly those of sexual orientation or gender identity, many people tend to believe that the collective "we" are making leaps and bounds towards social equality. Such arguments often cite the right to same sex marriage or anti-discrimination bills in the workplace and in housing.
After further examination, however, this impression is unequivocally false.
With anti-LGBTQ legislature introduced time and time again in the forms of "bathroom bills", the banning of trans military members, and the disputation of same sex marriages in states like Kentucky demonstrate a consistent societal and governmental undermining of queer equality. Even the capability of same sex partnerships to parent an adopted child has been called into question by politicians like Jeb Bush, who offered, "[I]t is in the best interest of adoptive children, many of whom come from troubled and unstable backgrounds, to be placed in a home anchored both by a father and a mother", rather than in an LGBTQ+ home. Such factors and statements contribute largely to societal stigma and bigotry.
Parallels between social stigma, isolation, and depression have been explored at length by a multitude of academic organizations, public health institutions, and community support or outreach projects. The National Institute of Mental Health reports that 16.2 million individuals over the age of 18 have reported "major" depressive episodes, consisting of prolonged periods in which a person displays a "change in functioning." Psychology Today has also conducted conclusive studies that demonstrate the tandem rise of loneliness alongside an increased use of social media; ubiquitous in our contemporary culture. Although these studies are shocking in and of themselves, the NIMH's reporting does not focus with intention on one of the most vulnerable populations in U.S. society today: the LGBTQ+ community.

Logic tells us that difficulty finding stable relationships, dependable income, lack of representation or support structures, and threat to bodily safety are all realities that the aforementioned communities are at higher risk of experiencing over the course of a lifetime. Between 2005 and 2014, hate crimes based on sexual orientation reportedly rose more rapidly in contrast to those against any one ethnic or racial background. Of course, these numbers are likely impacted deeply by the rate of violence against queer or trans women of color, at the intersection of such identities. The Human Rights Campaign succinctly summarizes: "While the details of these cases differ, it is clear that fatal violence disproportionately affects transgender women of color, and that the intersections of racism, sexism, homophobia, and transphobia conspire to deprive them of employment, housing, health care, and other necessities, barriers that make them vulnerable."

All of these factors could have the potential to cultivate a sense of stress or anxiety in a person, let alone those immediately impacted by a legislative or violent attack. This influence is perhaps most visible through a study from the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. In Understanding Anxiety and Depression for LGBTQ People, the Associating states that people of such identities are 30 to 60 per cent more likely to experience mental health struggles--all the more remarkable when compared to societal numbers at large.

Consequently, and fortunately, there are myriad historical and newly blossoming resources that are available to the queer community. The Trevor Project, for example, provides crisis services, resources for improving mental health, education, and advocacy for LGBTQ+ individuals. In the Portland area alone, there are over 20 outreach programs including the SMYRC (The Sexual and Gender Minority Youth Resource Center), The Living Room, and The Q Center.

Although these organizations are doing as much as they can to better the realities of daily life for many queer communities, such structures are a metaphorical band aid covering the actively bleeding wound of a discriminatory world. In a pool of other queer peers and friends, the majority stated anecdotally that they had never and would likely not think to reach out to a community program even in the case of a major crisis or episode. Also noteworthy is a lack of access impacting intersectional communities that could be elderly, houseless, or otherwise societally disadvantaged.

In the words of Ellen Page, "This world would be a whole lot better if we just made an effort to be less horrible to one another." The actualities of life as a member of the LGBTQ+ spectrum of identities is undoubtedly related to a slew of struggles within the context of the world as is. That being said, as society slowly progresses towards better representation, norms, and attitudes, mental health will also shift for the better.

Citations and Further Readings:
Prevalence of Major Depressive Episodes Among Adults
Is Social Media Making You Lonely?
LGBT People Are More Likely to Be Targets of Hate Crimes
Jeb Bush: Opposes Marriage Equality
The Trevor Project
GLAAD Accelerating Acceptance 2018
Portland Area Queer Resource Centers
Violence Against the Transgender Community in 2018
"Bathroom Bill" Legislative Tracking
Supreme Court Allows Trump Military Ban 

Photo by Josh Wilburne