
Terence Humphreys is the Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Director at LGBTIQ+ Health Australia
Did you know that 43.9% of LGBTQ+* individuals aged 16 to 85 report high or very high levels of psychological distress, compared to just 15.4% of their non-LGBTQ+ peers? This stark reality highlights the urgent need for supportive workplace environments, especially during Mental Health Month in October.
While many LGBTIQ+ individuals lead happy, fulfilling lives, they still face a greater burden of poor mental health and higher rates of suicidality than the general population. This heightened risk is not inherent to being LGBTIQ+ – it stems from societal treatment and stigma. By understanding the social determinants of health and the unique challenges faced by various LGBTIQ+ communities, workplaces can actively enhance the mental health and wellbeing of their LGBTIQ+ employees.
Optimal mental health and wellbeing encompass various elements, including mental and physical health, social connections, sense of identity, and social determinants. Many minority and marginalised groups experience elevated rates of mental health issues and suicide due to systemic stigma, discrimination, and social exclusion. Despite significant legal progress toward equality in Australia, gaps remain. LGBTIQ+ individuals continue to face discrimination, marginalisation, trauma, and violence.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ 2023 National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing and Mental health findings for LGBTQ+ Australians, 58.7% of LGBTQ+ individuals aged 16 to 85 reported experiencing symptoms of a diagnosed mental health disorder in the past year, compared to 21.5% of their non-LGBTQ+ peers. Over a lifetime, 74.5% of LGBTQ+ people reported such symptoms, versus 42.9% of non-LGBTQ+ individuals. Certain groups within the LGBTIQ+ community bear an even greater burden, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, trans and gender-diverse individuals (especially youth), bisexual individuals, women, and those with variations in sex characteristics.
Mental health can significantly affect workplace performance, and workplaces often inadvertently contribute to negative mental health outcomes. Barriers such as fear of discrimination, lack of representation, insufficient support systems, and unintentional marginalisation persist for LGBTIQ+ employees. Workplaces have the power to drive positive change by fostering inclusive and safe cultures, policies, and practices that celebrate LGBTIQ+ communities.
Here are some actionable steps organisations can take:
- Conduct inclusion audits: Utilise programs such as Mindout Champions, Welcome Here, or Pride In Diversity to assess and enhance workplace inclusivity.
- Model inclusive practices: Encourage staff to add pronouns to email signatures, provide gender-neutral toilets and change rooms, and implement inclusive policies, such as gender-neutral parental leave and gender affirmation leave.
- Engage employees: engage directly with LGBTIQ+ employees to understand their specific needs without placing the burden of education on them.
- Recognise important dates: Acknowledge significant days such as Wear It Purple Day, International Day of Trans Visibility, and Intersex Awareness Day in meaningful ways to foster understanding and support within the workplace.
- Commit to advocacy: Move beyond being passive allies; become advocates for LGBTIQ+ inclusion by initiating conversations about diversity, participating in training, and contributing to policy development.
Let’s create workplaces where everyone can thrive. By fostering an inclusive environment, workplaces can contribute to better mental health outcomes for LGBTQ+ individuals, ensuring everyone feels safe, respected, and valued.
*The Australian Bureau of Statistics has used the acronym LGBTQ+ in this context, to align with specific data collected.
Terence Humphreys (he/him) joined LGBTIQ+ Health Australia in July 2024 as Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Director, bringing over 16 years experience delivering and managing programs and services in the for-purpose sector, specialising in mental health, youth, and capacity building. LGBTIQ+ Health Australia (LHA), is the national peak body for LGBTIQ+ health and wellbeing for organisations and individuals that provide health-related programs, services and research focused on lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans/transgender, intersex, queer and other sexuality, gender, and bodily diverse people.
Additional resources
- MindOut National LGBTIQ+ mental health and suicide prevention program
- LGBTIQ+ Health Australia National peak health body in Australia for organisations and individuals that provide health-related programs, services and research focused on LGBTIQ+ health
- Changing the Landscape National LGBTIQA+SB Suicide Prevention program
- QLife National peer-based support service for LGBTIQ+ communities
- Rainbow Realities Provides an in-depth analysis of large-scale LGBTQA+ health and wellbeing data in Australia
- Pride in Diversity’s resources page
- Fact sheets on common mental health conditions, treatments and wellbeing, Black Dog Institute
- The cost of ignoring the mental health and wellbeing of your workforce, Deloitte
- Creating Mentally Healthy Workplaces, the Mentally Healthy Workplace Alliance
DCA resources
- DCA’s LGBTIQ+ resource page
- DCA’s Mental Health resource page
- DCA event: Beyond Binary for gender inclusive workplaces
- DCA blog: “We all have a role to play”: Addressing workplace mental health
- DCA blog: Mental health is a workplace issue
- Words at Work: Building LGBTIQ+ inclusion through the power of language
- Out at Work: From Prejudice to Pride
- Intersections at Work
- Mapping the State of Inclusion and Mental Health in the Australian Workforce
- New study finds workplace inclusion & flexibility can improve mental health
If you or someone you know is struggling with poor mental health, help is available.
See below for a list of mental health agencies:
Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636
Brother to Brother 1800 435 799
Headspace
Lifeline Australia 131114
MensLine Australia 1300 78 99 78
MindSpot 1800 61 44 34
People Reaching Out to People (PROP)
QLife 1800 184 527
SANE Australia 1800 18 7263.