Conversations about mental health have become far more open in recent years. Yet for many LGBTQ+ people in the UK, these conversations still come with a heavy weight: higher rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide compared to the general population.
This isn’t just a matter of individual resilience or “coping skills.” It’s about the environments LGBTQ+ people live in, the social messages they absorb, and the psychological burden of navigating a world where their identities are often contested.
The Mental Health Gap
The numbers are stark. Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows that lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults are more than twice as likely as heterosexual adults to be admitted to hospital after intentional self-harm. Among women, that risk rises to nearly three times higher. Bisexual adults in particular report the greatest levels of distress.
Stonewall’s nationwide research paints a similar picture: around half of LGBTQ+ people report experiencing depression, and three in five report anxiety. For trans people, the risks are even greater, with significantly higher rates of suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts.
The picture among LGBTQ+ young people is especially concerning. The Trevor Project’s 2024 UK survey found that 70% reported recent symptoms of anxiety, 62% reported depression, and nearly one in five had attempted suicide in the past year. To put this into context, the general UK youth suicide attempt rate is under 2%. The disparity is enormous.
These statistics don’t just tell us about numbers; they point to lives shaped by exclusion, fear, and the constant calculation of safety in daily life.
Minority Stress Theory: A Framework for Understanding
One of the most helpful ways to make sense of these disparities is through Minority Stress Theory (Meyer, 2003). It suggests that members of marginalised groups experience unique, chronic stressors that directly affect their mental health.
The theory distinguishes between two categories of stressors:
Distal stressors
These are external, objective events and conditions. They happen whether or not the person notices them, and include discrimination, harassment, rejection, exclusion, and hostile laws or policies. For example, a council decision to ban Pride flags from public buildings or the removal of LGBTQ+ books from libraries is a distal stressor: it signals that certain identities are unwelcome.
Proximal stressors
These are internal, subjective processes that arise in response to stigma. They include hiding one’s identity, expecting rejection, living with hypervigilance, or internalising shame and stigma. These stressors are “proximal” because they are carried within the self and affect daily psychological life.
Together, distal and proximal stressors explain why LGBTQ+ people often face a heavier psychological load. It’s not that LGBTQ+ identities cause poor mental health—it’s that living in a stigmatising society does.
Why Distal Stressors Are Rising in the UK
Although legal equality has advanced in the UK over recent decades, recent years have seen an increase in signals that LGBTQ+ lives are under scrutiny or rollback. These developments act as distal stressors, adding to the background weight LGBTQ+ people carry.
In 2025, the UK Supreme Court ruled that the word “sex” in the Equality Act refers specifically to “biological sex.” Critics argue this decision narrows protections for trans people, particularly around access to single-sex spaces and services.
Local authorities have taken steps that restrict LGBTQ+ visibility—for instance, removing transgender-related books from children’s library sections or debating bans on flying Pride flags from council buildings. Whatever the intention, the message received is exclusionary: you are not welcome here.
Beyond the UK, developments in Slovakia (where laws now limit LGBTQ+ rights and recognition) and in several U.S. states (where rollbacks on healthcare, education, and visibility are widespread) add to the sense of insecurity. LGBTQ+ people in Britain often absorb these global currents as part of their lived environment.
These aren’t abstract policy debates—they are signals. They shape whether LGBTQ+ people feel safe holding hands in public, whether a teenager feels able to come out at school, or whether a trans person feels protected when accessing healthcare.
The Impact of Proximal Stressors
If distal stressors represent the external climate, proximal stressors are the weather inside the self. LGBTQ+ people often adapt to hostile environments by concealing their identity, monitoring how they speak, dress, or behave, or preparing for rejection. Over time, this hypervigilance can take a significant toll on mental health.
Internalised stigma can lead to feelings of shame, low self-worth, or the belief that one’s identity is a “problem.” Even when overt discrimination is absent, the fear or expectation of rejection can drive anxiety and isolation.
These responses are not personal failings. They are understandable adaptations to environments that are not consistently safe.
What Makes a Difference
The good news is that protective environments significantly reduce risk. Research consistently shows that when schools, workplaces, or communities are visibly supportive, the rates of anxiety, depression, and self-harm among LGBTQ+ people drop dramatically.
The Trevor Project’s UK survey found that LGBTQ+ young people reported much lower rates of self-harm when they felt their school was accepting of LGBTQ+ students and staff. Small signals of inclusion—like a Pride flag in a classroom, books that reflect diverse identities, or teachers using affirming language—can have a life-saving impact.
At a therapeutic level, affirming therapy spaces matter too. Therapy can help reduce proximal stressors by offering a confidential, non-judgemental environment where LGBTQ+ people can explore experiences of shame, anxiety, or rejection. It provides tools for managing stress, challenges internalised stigma, and supports the building of stronger self-acceptance.
Seeking Support
If you identify as LGBTQ+ and are struggling with your mental health, remember: the challenges you face are not all yours to carry. They are shaped by wider social and political contexts. Recognising this doesn’t erase the pain, but it can shift the focus—you are not broken; the environment is hostile.
Therapy can be one way of finding space to process, heal, and reconnect. It’s about reclaiming safety, building resilience, and making room for the full expression of your identity.
I work with LGBTQ+ clients across the UK, both online and in person (London and North Herts). I offer a free 20-minute discovery call to help you decide if therapy might be right for you.
References
- Amnesty International (2023) Slovakia: Parliament passes discriminatory law against LGBTI people. Available at: www.amnesty.org.
- Meyer, I.H. (2003) ‘Prejudice, social stress, and mental health in lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations: Conceptual issues and research evidence’, Psychological Bulletin, 129(5), pp. 674–697.
- Office for National Statistics (2024) Self-harm and suicide by sexual orientation, England and Wales: March 2021 to December 2023. London: ONS.
- Samaritans (2024) Response to ONS data on self-harm and suicide in LGB+ adults. Available at: www.samaritans.org.
- Stonewall (2018) LGBT in Britain – Health. London: Stonewall.
- The Trevor Project (2024) United Kingdom Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People. New York: The Trevor Project.
- Times (2025) Kent council to remove trans books from children’s library sections. London: The Times.
- Index on Censorship (2024) Freedom to read: Libraries under pressure to remove LGBTQ+ books in the UK. London: Index on Censorship.
