The team at BestColleges has created a mental health resource for LGBTQ+ members. In this resource you will learn about barriers to receiving support and discover ways to make informed choices about care.

LGBTQ+ communities are impacted by various forms of oppression and continue to face discrimination, rejection, and legislative attacks that impact their daily lives. Despite these obstacles, LGBTQ+ communities fight to overcome health disparities and work on challenging medical practices that dishonour their identities. In a survey of 35,000 LGBTQ+ youth between 13 and 24, 42% reported seriously thinking of attempting suicide in the past year. Such findings point to a need for psychological services that are designed to meet the needs of LGBTQ+ people.

Healthcare systems have historically been sources of uneasiness, harm, and frustration for LGBTQ+ people. When seeking out mental health support, LGBTQ+ people have to overcome and combat various hurdles to find affirming care. A long-standing barrier for transgender and nonbinary folks is medical gatekeeping: obstacles that require unnecessary steps for care or practitioners who deny gender-affirming treatments and fail to offer culturally congruent care overall. Medical gatekeeping can make individuals feel less worthy of quality care. It also leads to poor health outcomes for LGBTQ+ patients.

The resource guide covers:

  • Choosing the right mental health support for you

  • Barriers to mental health support for LGBTQ+ students

  • Mental health resources for LGBTQ+ students

Click here for more details

SingleCare‘s mandate is ensuring the health and wellness of the LGBTQ community are crucial, as it addresses not just their physical well-being but their mental, emotional, and social dimensions, fostering an environment of inclusivity and affirmation where individuals can truly flourish as their authentic selves.

Their medically-reviewed resource covers:

  • The importance of specialized healthcare for LGBTQ+ folks, as well as tips on how to find safe and inclusive care
  • Unique mental health risks and needs of LGBTQ+ people
  • Specific health concerns for both cisgender and transgender people in the LGBTQ+ community
  • Additional wellness resources for the LGBTQ+

Check out their new guide on Health and Wellness for LGBTQ+ people

About the Author

Bryen Dunn is a freelance journalist based in Toronto with a focus on tourism, lifestyle, entertainment and community issues. He has written several travel articles and has an extensive portfolio of celebrity interviews with musicians, actors and other public personalities. He’s willing to take on any assignments of interest, attend parties with free booze, listen to rants, and travel the world in search of the great unknown. He’s eager to discover the new, remember the past, and look into the future.