Structural Stigma

Abstract

There are well-documented health disparities in the LGBTQ population. LGBTQ youth are at higher risk for depression, anxiety, and addiction.1,2 In a Center for Disease Control and Prevention survey, 60% of LGB students reported having been so sad or hopeless that they stopped doing some of their usual activities.1 Studies in LGBT adults have found higher risks for tobacco, alcohol, other drug use, obesity, cancer, and HIV.3-5 When examining health disparities in minority populations such as LGBTQ populations, it is important to consider the role that stress and stigma play in order to fully appreciate how these disparities are created, increased, and perpetuated.