Mental health problems such as depression, self-harm, alcohol and drug abuse, and suicidal thoughts can affect anyone, but they’re more common among people who are LGBTQ+.
Being LGBTQ+ doesn’t cause these problems. But some things LGBTQ+ people go through can affect their mental health, such as discrimination, homophobia or transphobia, social isolation, rejection, and difficult experiences of coming out.
If you are finding things difficult, you are not alone. There are a range of organisations offering mental health services tailored to the LGBTQ+ community.
Visit our local services page for mental health services (such as Talking Therapies and Positive Minds) and our list of dedicated LGBTQ+ support below.
Youth groups for young people (and their families) exploring their sexuality and gender identity.
An experienced, skilled youth team offers a weekly youth group in a safe, secure and supportive environment. There are activities each week designed to improve self-esteem, give young people a social outlet in which to make new friends, and provide information to support them as they move into adulthood.
To access the groups, the child, young person or family member will first need to have a conversation with the Specialist Support Worker, to establish if the group is right for them, or whether alternative support would be more suitable.
Allsorts Youth Project listens to, connects and supports children and young people under 26 who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans or exploring their sexual orientation and/or gender identity (LGBTQ+) and their families.
It’s an online learning space for young people and adults to learn about the LGBTQ+ community.
Beyond Reflections is a Southampton-based counselling service that offer face-to-face and online mental wellbeing support to the trans+ community.
They work to create a safe community for trans+ people and their allies, providing support designed with and for the community, allowing them to develop a deeper understanding of themselves and empowering them to navigate challenges, build resilience, and make healthy decisions about their future.
Galop is a national support service for LGBTQ+ people who have experienced abuse and violence. They can help with advocacy, legal advice, signposting, and emotional support for victims.
Mermaids is a UK-wide charity to support transgender, non-binary and questioning children and young people, and their loved ones.
They have a parents forum for those with children who are trans, non-binary or questioning, and an online youth forum for teenagers aged 12-19 years old.
MindOut is a Brighton-based mental health service run by and for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer (LGBTQ+) people, and offers online support around the world.
The service work to improve the mental health and wellbeing of LGBTQ+ communities and to make mental health a community concern.
Survivors offers support for men, boys and non-binary people affected by sexual violence. The service offers counselling, online forums, group work, advice clinics and helplines.
Switchboard is a UK-wide phone line to discuss sexual health, relationships, gender identity, sexuality etc.
The phoneline and online chat is available 365 days a year from 10am – 10pm.
It’s for anyone, anywhere in the country, at any point in their journey.
Joelene was diagnosed with depression at 14, became a teenage mum at 15, and came out to her family as a lesbian at 16. She was out and proud until 2017 (aged 24) before a traumatic homophobic experience changed her life.
In her blog, Joelene writes about her mental health journey and hopes to help people who may have experienced any violence or abuse because of their sexuality.
Our local NHS team provides support for LQBTQ+ people to access STI checks, PEP and PREP, and to learn more about safe sex.
Information about chemsex, staying safe, what to do afterwards if you’re thinking about making a change and support to help you take back control and stop, or stay stopped.
A review of studies on mental health issues in LGBTQ+ communities found that LGBTQ+ people are more likely to experience poor mental health or a mental illness than those who do not identify as being LGBTQ+.
A study by Stonewall found that over the previous year:
Stonewall’s ‘Prescription for Change’ report found lesbian and bisexual women had higher rates of suicidal thoughts and self-harm compared to women in general.
Other reviews highlight:
The reasons why there are higher rates of mental health issues among LGBTQ+ people are complex. There are many experiences that LGBTQ+ people will often have to deal with as a minority community, such as stigma, prejudice, and discrimination.
Our friendly team at the Portsmouth Mental Health Hub are here to help.
Enter your details and someone will call you back between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Friday.
If you or someone you know needs urgent mental health help, please call 111 – the NHS non-emergency number. It’s available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and is free from any phone. They have specialist mental health nurses who can support adults and young people.
In a life-threatening emergency, always call 999.