LGBTQ+ Mental Health

If you’re in the LGBTQ+ community and struggle with depression or other mental health challenges, the mental health experts at Rappore, a telehealth-based mental health practice headquartered Manhattan, New York, are here for you. Their licensed clinicians help patients in multiple states, including New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, Maryland,  and Texas. They offer compassionate LGBTQ+ mental health telehealth services to help you overcome difficult situations, improve your mood, and enhance your quality of life.

Human gender identity and sexuality is undoubtedly complex and diverse. In many ways this complexity is celebrated, with events, community-building, and activism. In addition, intersectionality exists among the LGBTQ community, with diversity in racial identity, religion, nationality, and socioeconomic status. This great diversity contributes to thought leadership, cultural richness, and nuanced perspectives. 

Unfortunately, stigma still remains for those who don’t identify as cisgender or heterosexual. And rates of mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression, disproportionately affect LGBTQ individuals. All gender identities/sexual orientations aren’t consistently included in large scale mental health studies. However, from the data that does exist, rates of mental illness in people who identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual are about double the rates of their heterosexual counterparts. For trans folks, rates of mental illness are about quadruple the rate of cisgender people. 

For LGBTQ teenagers, rates of mental illness, including suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts, are also higher than cisgender, heterosexual adolescents. For nonbinary/gender-noncorming teens mental health symptoms such as anxiety and depression are often exacerbated when they are not supported by their family or community. To make matters worse, some LGBTQ teens face such backlash from their families after coming out, that they are no longer allowed to remain at home. LGBTQ teens are therefore at higher risk of homelessness. There are organizations, such as the Ali Forney Center in New York City, that work to help empower LGBTQ teens and fight against homelessness.

Substance use disorders are also more common in LGBTQ persons, including in adolescents, relative to heterosexual and cisgender individuals. Trans individuals are at particularly high risk of having a substance use disorder. Substances such as alcohol and marijuana can sometimes be used to “self-medicate”, however oftentimes they can worsen depression, anxiety, and other mental health symptoms. Moreover, substance abuse is a risk factor for suicide. 

Race and socioeconomic status also play a large role in mental health and mental health treatment. Structural barriers and race-based oppression can exacerbate mental health systems for LGBTQ individuals of color. Furthermore, for individuals with fewer resources, there can be less access to mental health providers. Mental health treatment can be particularly stigmatized in some cultures, making seeking out treatment more difficult as well.  

At Rappore we take a holistic approach to mental health treatment, seeing people for who they are as individuals and providing culturally competent care that takes into account peoples’ varied backgrounds. We pride ourselves on providing excellent quality mental health care that’s affordable and accessible - we’re in-network with many major insurance plans and utilize technology to deliver care where you are. We additionally have a diverse group of mental health clinicians, including providers who identify as LGBTQ. If you are a loved one are struggling with mental health concerns, issues related to gender/sexual identity, or romantic romantic relationships, please reach out for help. Although mental illness can feel isolating, you are not alone. Here at Rappore we will do everything in our power to make sure you can live your life to the fullest.