Economic Hardship and Mental Health for Sexual and Gender Identity Minorities

2025/07/23 by Michael E. Martell
Health Professions · Psychology · Social Sciences · #Demographic economics #Economics #Employment and Welfare Studies #Gender identity #Gender studies #Gender, Labor, and Family Dynamics #Human sexuality #Identity (music) #Mental health #Psychiatry #Psychology #Sexual identity #Social Policy and Reform Studies #Social psychology #Sociology

paper · doi:10.1002/soej.12783

published in Southern Economic Journal 93(1), 170-199 (Wiley)

openalex publication_date 2025/07/23 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/03

Abstract

ABSTRACT Using nationally representative data from the US Household Pulse Survey, I show that individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and not cisgender are 10–20 percentage points more likely than their cisgender heterosexual counterparts to experience symptoms of depression. I build on our knowledge of the causes of mental health disparities, showing that higher likelihoods of experiencing depression are largely unexplained by higher rates of economic hardship. Hardship, particularly for lesbian and gay individuals, has larger associations with depression. However, differential associations explain little of the underlying mental health disparities for sexual orientation and gender identity minorities.

Citations

• Gender Minority Social Stress in Adolescence: Disparities in Adolescent Bullying and Substance Use by Gender Identity
• The Patient Health Questionnaire-2
• Minority Stress and Mental Health in Gay Men
• Gender typicality and sexual minority labour market differentials

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