Understanding LGBTIQ+ mental health
Your right to be yourself.
You might feel pressure to fit into other people’s ideas of gender or sexuality. But your identity, your feelings and your journey are what make you, you.
Whether you’re exploring who you are, expressing your truth, or loving who you love, you deserve to be seen, respected and cared for. The world is richer and more beautiful because of the diversity you bring.
It’s normal to feel unsure or worried sometimes, especially if you’ve faced:
Bullying or being left out
Family or friends not accepting you
Stress from hiding your identity
Barriers in systems that are meant to support you, like school, work, health or legal services
These experiences can cause extra stress that builds up over time. This can feel even harder if you also face racism, ableism or other forms of discrimination.
It’s important to remember that you have rights, and you have support to ensure that you can live freely and safely in good health.
What the statistics say about lesbian, gay and bisexual people and mental health
We know that (as of 2023):
Three in four of all LGB+ people (74.5%) had experienced a mental condition at some time in their life (compared with 41.7% of heterosexual people)
Of all LGB+ people, nearly three in five (58.7%) had a 12-month mental disorder (compared with 19.9% of heterosexual people)
Half of people who identify as LGB+ experienced an anxiety condition in the past 12-months. That’s almost three times the rate of the overall population
National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing, 2020-2022, Australian Bureau of Statistics.
