Guest blog: Advice from a healthcare provider to members of the LBGTQ+ community living with depression

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MHA Admin

Mon, 01/13/2025 – 09:10

by Dr. Amir Ahuja, Board-Certified Psychiatrist and Director of Psychiatry at the Los Angeles LGBT Center

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most common mental illnesses in America, affecting more than 21 million adults in the US.1 Depression can happen to anyone, at any age, and to people of any race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status or religious background.2 While only 4.5% of the U.S. population identifies as LGBTQ+, 39% of the LGBTQ+ community has reported experiencing a mental illness in the past year.3 In fact, LGBTQ+ adults are 2.5 times as likely to use mental health services compared to cisgender heterosexual adults.3 This can be heightened by the unique challenges that the LGBTQ+ community faces, like discrimination or rejection from loved ones and society, or not feeling confident in or trusting of the healthcare system.

Here, Dr. Amir Ahuja, MD, a Board-Certified Psychiatrist, shares his personal insights on the challenges that members of the LGBTQ+ community may struggle with when it comes to experiencing and managing depression—as well as some strategies for coping.

1. What is your background and experience treating patients living with depression?

Depression is anything but simple. It is an illness unlike any other, and some forms of depression can persist even after multiple treatments. I have helped thousands of people in the LGBTQ+ community manage their depression as the Director of Psychiatry at the Los Angeles LGBT Center. I also have a wealth of experience treating patients with all forms of depression, including those with treatment-resistant depression (TRD).

TRD is often defined as an inadequate response to two or more antidepressants (of adequate dose and duration) in the current depressive episode, which is why many who are diagnosed with this form of depression cycle through treatments without relief.4

2. What unique challenges do you find members of the LGBTQ+ community struggle with when it comes to experiencing and managing depression?

I find that members in the LGBTQ+ community tend to feel more isolated than their cisgender, heterosexual counterparts. Many have been rejected by family members and ostracized by society. I also believe that this is compounded by the fact that many gay men were lost in the AIDS epidemic, and the surviving gay men of a certain age have lost many partners and friends.

Additionally, I believe that there are disparities in trauma that is experienced by LGBTQ+ people, like intimate partner violence, harassment and discrimination. There are also health disparities in terms of physical health where LGBTQ+ people in certain subsets have higher rates of heart disease, cancer, and shorter lifespans.5

3. What roles do community resources and support networks play in mental health of the LGBTQ+ community, and how can members talk with their doctors about finding resources?

I believe that culturally competent resources are vital for the LGBTQ+ community to get the healthcare they need. Many LGBTQ+ individuals, especially transgender individuals, have had terrible experiences with healthcare and resist going to the doctor because of it. A welcoming environment goes a long way towards making a change in this and rebuilding trust. Also, research repeatedly shows that all LGBTQ+ communities feel more comfortable with culturally competent providers and centers.

I work at the LA LGBT Center, which is the largest LGBT center in the world. The LA LGBT Center offers LGBTQ+ patients the help and resources they need to manage their depression. While not everyone lives in a city where there are physical centers to go to, there are a lot of online resources available like DepressionLooksLikeMe.com, which houses mental health resources tailored to the LGBTQ+ community. This includes healthcare directories that make it easy to find a provider, including the closest LGBTQ+ friendly healthcare professionals or community centers, as well as live and ongoing support that can connect people with trained counselors.

4. How do you approach discussions about mental health with LGBTQ+ patients?

In my practice, I approach these discussions with my LGBTQ+ patients just as I would with any patient. I start by discussing what depression can feel like, as there are many misconceptions. Depression is not a mood or a choice and not something someone can snap out of. It’s a serious mental illness that can happen to anyone at any age, and people of any gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status or religious background. Many people think it just consists of being “sad.” In reality, it can involve feelings of numbness and disconnection with lack of joy, fatigue and brain fog. It often affects appetite and sleep. It can be caused by life stressors or seemingly come from nowhere. I believe that normalizing the discussion around mental health and erasing the stigma often associated with it can help people feel less alone in their struggle.

When I look at treatment options for my patients living with depression, I like to understand my patients’ goals, so I can help them accomplish them while managing their depression.

5. What advice would you give to LGBTQ+ individuals who are struggling with depression but may not feel comfortable seeking help?

You are seen, you are heard, you are not alone, and help is just a phone call or a text away. Many people, including myself, are here to help you overcome depression and live your best life. We care about you and want the best for you, but we can’t help if you don’t reach out. So, taking that first step in reaching out for help is so important.

6. Where are some additional resources that people living with depression in the LGBTQ+ community can find care and help?

This post was sponsored by Johnson & Johnson.

References

  1. National Institute of Mental Health. Major depression. Accessed November 1, 2024. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/major-depression#part_2563 
  2. Mental Health America. Depression. Accessed November 1, 2024. https://www.mhanational.org/conditions/depression 
  3. Mental Health America. LGBTQ+ Communities and Mental Health. Accessed November 1, 2024. https://www.mhanational.org/issues/lgbtq-communities-and-mental-health 
  4. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Definition of treatment-resistant depression in the Medicare population. https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Coverage/DeterminationProcess/downlo ads/id105TA.pdf. Published February 9, 2018. 
  5. Health.com. 7 Major Health Disparities Affecting the LGBTQ+ Community. Accessed November 1, 2024. https://www.health.com/mind-body/lgbtq-health-disparities#:~:text=People%20in%20the%20LGBTQ%2B%20community%20face%20significant%20health%20disparities%20that,use%2C%20and%20mental%20health%20disorders 

DID YOU KNOW?

The Capital City Emergency “Level II” Trauma & Wellness Center will house a “state of the art” Outreach Community Resource Center, that will provide case management, mental health community advocacy, and oversight from the M.I. Mother’s Keeper mental health advocates. 
 
The Capital City Emergency “Level II” Trauma & Wellness Center will offer patrons access to immediate coverage by general surgeons as well as coverage by the specialties of orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, anesthesiology, emergency medicine, radiology and critical care.
 
Our goal is to help people in the best way possible in an effort to preserve and to save more lives in the Nation’s Capital and beyond.

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trauma

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and more…

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At Capital City Emergency Trauma & Wellness Center patrons with mental health emergencies that include life threatening situations in which an individual is imminently threatening harm to self or others, severely disoriented or out of touch with reality, has a severe inability to function or is otherwise distraught and out of control, will have access to quality and psychiatric emergency services and referrals.

Physical Health

Whether your life threatening medical emergency involves excessive or uncontrollable bleeding, head injury. difficulty with breathing, severe pain, heart attack, vision impairments, stroke, physically collapsing, or seizure related, rest assured that our professionals will properly assess and evaluate the level of response that will be most needed to help provide stabilized care solutions and minimize complications as well as reduce early mortality.

Holistic Healthcare

We offer healthcare solutions that will support the whole person which includes their physical, psychological, emotional, social, & spiritual wellbeing. Research supports that because your mental state can affect your overall health we support and offer the inclusion of complimentary and alternative medicine(CAM) practitioners and naturopathic doctor recommendations and referrals as a part of our Outreach Community Resource Center’s care regimen and support.

Rehabilitative

Emergency care can typically result in traumatic injuries for which rehabilitation becomes an essential component of care in trying to achieve the best long-term outcomes for the patient. In addition to speeding up recovery times and helping to prevent further complications, rehabilitative care also helps to support a patient’s self-managed recovery once discharged from our facility. Our Outreach Community Resource Center works closely with our trauma center’s discharge department to assure that patrons requiring these services are linked with qualified professionals who will be accountable to the standard of care required to help the patron be successful in their recovery.

Social Services

Our “state of the art” Outreach Community Resource Center intends to promote “expansive” beneficial community enriching services, programs, case management, & linkage to “approved” partner resources and supports in all of the following intended areas and more:

Social Services

  • Clothing
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  • Etc.

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Program Partner
(Bridging the Gap)

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Community Outreach

The Healthy DC & Me Leadership Coalition is partnering with the M.I. Mother’s Keeper Mental Health advocacy organization to provide outreach services on the community level as an aid in reducing the existent health inequities that many District citizens are facing as a direct result of the presence of debilitating social determinants and the lack of culturally appropriate care choices and realities for community members residing in marginalized and lower-income communities.

It is the vision and intentions of the M.I. Mother’s Keeper Mental Health Advocates organization to help improve the quality of living for citizens living in our Nation’s Capital and beyond by overseeing the delicate linkage to services and by maintaining higher standards of care accountability for deserving citizens of the Nation’s Capital.

For more information or to enroll as one of our service providers, please email us at:
info@healthydcandme.org