LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy

Research at the intersection of LGBTQ+ identities and psychological well-being examines how stigma, discrimination, and social stress shape mental and physical health outcomes for people with diverse sexual orientations and gender identities. A central framework here is minority stress theory, which holds that chronic exposure to prejudice and marginalization—rather than identity itself—accounts for elevated rates of anxiety, depression, and related conditions in these populations. Intersectionality adds another layer, asking how race, class, disability, and other social positions compound or buffer those stressors in ways that a single-axis analysis would miss. Active work in the area focuses on pinning down which specific policy environments reduce harm, and on understanding how gender identity—distinct from sexual orientation—generates its own particular pathways to discrimination and resilience.

Works

102,370

Total citations

1,357,192

Keywords

IntersectionalityLGBTQ+Mental HealthStigmaDiscriminationGender Identity