Depression, anxiety, and other common mental health problems are nearly twice as common among LGB people as among the rest of the population.
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The research is a meta-analysis, or study of studies, published in the journal BMC Psychiatry and looking at large-scale population surveys in England, Scotland, and Wales. Of the 94,000 responses, 1.1% identified as lesbian/gay, 0.9% as bisexual, and 0.8% as "other".
A total of 16.8% of heterosexual people surveyed said they had symptoms of some sort of common mental disorder, such as depression or anxiety. But 26.2% of lesbian and gay people, 34% of bisexual people, and 23.8% of those who described themselves as "other" reported similar symptoms.
"It's something we're aware of," Dr Joanna Semlyen of London Metropolitan University told BuzzFeed News. "But the data has usually come from US studies."
Dinesh Bhugra, a professor of mental health and diversity at King's College London, agreed, saying that the figures "do not come as a surprise". "There is remarkable evidence from over the years. Studies around the world have shown rates are higher for mental disorders and suicide."
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