United States: Today the CDC has shared that bisexual and transgender adults are much more vulnerable to experiencing loneliness at some point in their lives when compared with straight and cisgender adults — this has been disclosed in the report.
Details of the Report
Scholars employed cross-sectional data collected from the 2022 BRFSS health survey, aimed at assessing different health risk behaviors, preventative steps, and care access for loneliness, social-emotional support, and mental health components to confirm these associations.
Among the survivors, bisexual men scored the highest in loneliness, followed closely by gay men, with 56.7 percent, while the Transgender was 56.4 percent, with 63.9 percent of the respondents identifying themselves as Transgender male, Transgender female, or Gender non-conforming.
Gay or lesbian individuals reported loneliness frequently, with 41.2 percent and 44.8 percent, respectively, according to ABC News.
On the other hand, the majority of straight and cisgender people reported less percentage of loneliness, which was 30.3 percent and 32.1 percent, respectively; this situates bisexual and transgender people as nearly twice as likely to experience loneliness.
Expert Opinions
According to Dr. Adjoa Smalls-Mantey, a New York-based psychiatrist, “We know that people that are part of the LGBTQ+ community often face isolation, but this study is important in that it highlighted the degree that they are isolated compared to people not part of that community,” as ABC News reported.
She added, “They [often] don’t feel comfortable coming out to people that are closest to them and they may hide away, not share that part of themselves, not engaged with people that they used to. So sometimes it can be self-imposed.”
Health Risks of Loneliness – Experts’ Insights
Previous studies have indicated that loneliness and isolation have detrimental health effects, increasing the risk of stroke and heart issues. Social isolation also raises the likelihood of early mortality due to factors like obesity and smoking stemming from reduced physical activity.
The study, limited to data from 26 states, may not fully represent the entire US adult population. However, the authors suggest that mental health treatments for the LGBTQ+ community should address loneliness, as social and emotional support improves health quality.
According to the authors, “Providing access to health services that are affirming for sexual and gender minority groups and collecting data to address health inequities might help improve the delivery of culturally competent care,” as ABC News reported.
Dr. Judith Joseph, who is a board-certified child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist and clinical assistant professor at NYU Health, stated that she encouraged LGBTQ+ individuals to connect with people outside the home if they feel they are not receiving the kind of response they need.
She said, “So that could be the person at the store if you go to buy something, rather than just saying. ‘Oh, thank you and have a great day,’ ask that store clerk, ‘So, how’s your day going?'” as ABC News reported.
“You can start a conversation with the barista at the coffee shop. These small interactions really help a lot of my clients who have cut off people because they were not accepted by their parents,” she continued.