People Who Are Gay, Lesbian or Bi Have More Mental Health and Substance Use Problems, Survey Finds
Last Updated: Thursday June 15, 2023
(CNN) Despite increasing acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community, at least in some circles, adults who identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual are more likely than those who identify as straight to have serious thoughts of suicide and mental health conditions including major depressive episodes, and they are more likely to misuse substances like alcohol or drugs, according to a new US government report.
The report, published Tuesday, comes from the annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health, sponsored by the US Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. It’s included a question about how the participant identifies their sexual orientation since 2015.
The data in the report, which focuses on LGB adults, comes from 2021 and 2022. Next year’s survey will also aim to identify people who are transgender or nonbinary.