LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy

Research at the intersection of LGBTQ+ identities and health examines how sexual orientation, gender identity, and other social categories—race, class, disability—combine to shape individuals' mental and physical wellbeing. A central theoretical framework here is minority stress theory, which holds that the chronic exposure to stigma, discrimination, and social rejection produces measurable psychological harm beyond what majority populations typically experience. Psychologists working in this area document patterns of elevated depression, anxiety, and suicidality across LGBTQ+ populations, while also investigating the protective factors—community belonging, affirming relationships, legal recognition—that buffer those effects. Active questions include how intersecting marginalized identities compound or sometimes complicate stress exposure, and how policy changes such as nondiscrimination protections or access to gender-affirming care translate into population-level health outcomes.

Works

107,095

Total citations

1,391,738

Keywords

IntersectionalityLGBTQ+Mental HealthStigmaDiscriminationGender Identity