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. 2025 Feb 11;25(1):114.
doi: 10.1186/s12888-025-06556-2.

Mental health of LGBTQ+ workers: a systematic review

Dunya Tomic  1 , Monica O'Dwyer  2 , Tessa Keegel  2 , Karen Walker-Bone  2
Affiliations

Mental health of LGBTQ+ workers: a systematic review

Dunya Tomic et al. BMC Psychiatry. .

Abstract

Background: Members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other sexual and gender minorities (LGBTQ+) community have greater risk of mental health disorders compared to the general population, however most evidence is from young people. We sought to systematically review and summarise the evidence for the burden and risk of mental health disorders.

Methods: A PRISMA-compliant literature search was conducted in MEDLINE, Embase, PsycInfo, Scopus, and CINAHL for articles published from 2000 to 2024. Quantitative or mixed-methods studies that reported mental health outcomes among LGBTQ+ workers were included. Effect measures included prevalence and odds ratios, with variations in mental health across occupations and specific sexual or gender minorities reported where possible. This systematic review was prospectively registered through PROSPERO (CRD42024587605).

Results: Out of 5736 unique articles screened, 33 articles (32 individual studies) fulfilled eligibility criteria, including 8369 LGBTQ+ workers. Other than studies of sex workers, only 12 studies had research questions specific to LGBTQ+ workers' mental health. Most studies (30/32) were cross-sectional and reported increased odds of depression, anxiety, or suicidality among LGBTQ+ compared to non-LGBTQ+ workers. Prevalence estimates and methodology varied widely. Factors associated with adverse mental health outcomes among select groups of LGBTQ+ workers included internalised stigma, heterosexism, job stress and low income. We found no studies comparing workers across industries and no studies involving workplace interventions.

Conclusions: There are limited objective data regarding LGBTQ+ workers' mental health. Given the heterogeneity of the LGBTQ+ population, dedicated longitudinal research into the mental health of specific sexual and gender minorities across all industries and occupations is needed to determine causal factors, the impact of intersectionality, and the effectiveness of workplace interventions.

Keywords: Anxiety; Bisexual; Depression; Gay; LGBTQ+; Lesbian; Mental health; Systematic review; Transgender; Workplace.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Not applicable. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) flow diagram
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Overlap between specific focus on LGBTQ+ and working populations among included studies
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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