Variations in psychological distress between gender and sexual minority groups

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to compare rates of elevated levels of depression, anxiety, and stress among six different lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) subgroups (cisgender lesbians, cisgender gay males, cisgender bisexual females, cisgender bisexual males, transgender females, and transgender males). A total of 2,702 LGBT-identified individuals participated in the online study. While controlling for other demographic factors, rates of elevated levels of depression (p < 0.001), anxiety (p = 0.015), and stress (p < 0.001) all varied significantly between LGBT subgroups. Post-hoc examinations of pairwise differences revealed substantial and unexpected variations, highlighting the importance of separately examining LGBT subgroups when considering mental health outcomes.

KEYWORDS:

• Gender identity
• LGBT
• mental health
• sexual orientation

Disclosures

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.