This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: A Monash University study analyzed data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics' 2020–2022 National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing and found more than half of cisgender nonheterosexual Australians and more than one-third of transgender Australians are diagnosed with a mental disorder. The findings, published in the Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, show these individuals have up to 3.5 times the risk of experiencing high or very high psychological distress compared with the rest of the population.
The research compared three groups: cisgender heterosexual people, cisgender nonheterosexual people and transgender people of any sexual orientation. Long Le, a senior research fellow in the Monash School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, said the findings highlight persistent mental health inequities affecting queer communities. "These findings were really startling and show that we still have a long way to go in breaking down the barriers to access and treatment for LGBTQ+ Australians," Le said.
"Many LGBTQ+ Australians continue to face stigma, discrimination, social exclusion and barriers to accessing affirming health care. These experiences can have profound and lasting effects on mental well-being and day-to-day functioning." The study assessed both diagnosed mental disorders and subthreshold mental disorders, conditions in which individuals experience clinically significant symptoms that do not meet the full criteria for a formal diagnosis. Across all groups, anxiety disorders were the most commonly reported mental health condition.
Some 41.3% of cisgender nonheterosexual Australians and 27.2% of transgender Australians reported high or very high psychological distress, compared with 15.5% of cisgender heterosexual Australians. Beyond mental health diagnoses, the research found that LGBTQ+ participants experienced greater impacts on their daily functioning. Functional disability scores were 11.1% higher among cisgender nonheterosexual participants and 8.7% higher among transgender participants compared with cisgender heterosexual participants.
Bernice Hua Ma, a research fellow at the Monash School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, said the findings highlight the broader social factors contributing to mental health inequities. "The mental health disparities identified in this study cannot be understood solely through individual-level factors," Ma said. "Reducing these inequities will require more than expanding mental health services.
It will also require tackling the social and structural barriers that undermine the health and well-being of LGBTQ+ communities and ensuring that health care settings are inclusive, safe and responsive to their needs." Co-author Rebecca Smith, from umbrella organization LGBTIQ+ Health Australia, said the study provides important national evidence to inform service design and policy. "Governments and service providers must recognize that LGBTIQA+ community-led organizations and lived experience leadership are fundamental to effective mental health responses, bringing the knowledge, trust and community connection needed to achieve better outcomes," Smith said. "It's also important to understand that these mental health disparities are not an inherent consequence of being LGBTQ+.
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