Written by Gilian Foerster, NAMI CC 2024 Intern
The struggles in mental health from members of the LGBTQ+ community, or anyone lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, asexual, and more, specifically LGBTQ+ women, are highlighted in an article from National Public Radio. A new study from the Urvashi Vaid National LGBTQ+ Women’s Community Survey offers a reminder of how discrimination largely affects marginalized groups and communities. The study underlines not only the present high rates of mental illness within LGBTQ women, but also talks about systematic barriers that bar them from accessing care.
The report comes from an analysis of Urvashi’s national survey of 5,000 LGBTQ+ respondents who previously or currently identify as a woman, conducted between June 2021 and June 2022. The survey revealed that 22% of LGBTQ+ women have attempted suicide, a statistic that exceeds the national average. It also found that over half of respondents live with anxiety or depression. The National Association on Mental Illness reports that the national averages for anxiety falls at about 19 percent and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports the national average of depression to be around 18 percent. The Urvashi Vaid survey found 44 percent of LGBTQ+ women survey respondents live with anxiety and 51 percent with depression, both of these statistics are more than double the national averages of 18 and 19 percent. These results fall in line with other research showing how race, gender, and sexual orientation expands mental and health disparities. For many LGBTQ+ people of color, experiences of systemic discrimination not only add to distress, but contribute to chronic health issues.
The survey shows that even though LGBTQ+ women face health challenges, many are unable to or unwilling to access care. While 77% of the US has a primary care physician, just over half LGBTQ+ women reported having a primary care physician. Women delay or avoid care because of cost and fear of discrimination. Savy Elahian, who led the data analysis for this report, within the NPR article states, “Historically, medical spaces have not been safe for us.” This reinforces the implications that women in the LGBTQ+ community have historically faced discomfort in medical environments and even brought into these environments to be experimented and tested on. These fears could play a role in the 14% of LGBTQ+ women who’ve never gotten a pap smear and the 1 in 3 that have never been screened for cervical cancer. LGBTQ+ women are missing out on important preventative measures and are nearly twice as likely to develop cervical cancer.
Despite the hurdles the community faces, community led care has become a vital resource. Having these peer support networks, advocacy organizations, and community health initiatives are crucial in providing informed care and helping people navigate healthcare systems. Addressing the mental health crisis with LGBTQ+ women requires more than just improving access to care, it means creating healthcare spaces that are affirming and culturally competent. Medical institutions must invest in training providers to understand and serve LGBTQ+ patients with empathy and respect.
