Being Wholly Healthy: Addressing Mental Health in the LGBTQ+ Community

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Health Equity Monthly Focus
By Anita Ramsetty, MD, Director of Health Equity

June 2025 

June is Pride month and will be celebrated throughout the country with various activities and festivities. As a healthcare provider, Englewood Health supports the health and well-being of all individuals and communities. During this focus on LGBTQ+ communities in June, we recognize the ongoing disparities in regard to mental health conditions. It is estimated that the LGBTQ+ population experiences mental health issues at a rate at least two times that of the heterosexual population according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. LGBTQ+ teens experience this at an even higher rate of six times their non-LGBTQ+ counterparts. What is to be done about this from our standpoint?

We know from prior surveys that members of the LGBTQ+ population seek out healthcare less frequently due to fear of discrimination and poor prior interactions with the medical community. By committing to non-discriminatory practices, having welcoming environments and inclusive verbiage, we can start bridging the gaps in care to more adequately address conditions like depression and anxiety in this population. Without doing so, we will continue to see disparities that lead to higher rates of substance use and suicide in the LGBTQ+ population. In order for our community to be healthy, we must all have access to care to address our whole selves.