Stress, Health, and Substance Use in the LGBTQ+ Community: What's the Link?

The Challenge

The LGBTQ+ community faces higher rates of substance use compared to their straight peers. This isn't a coincidence.

Minority Stress

• Extra pressure of being a minority in society
• Negatively affects mental health
• Disrupts the body's natural stress response

Consequences

• Imbalanced stress system leads to increased substance use
• Long-term effects on LGBTQ+ individuals not thoroughly studied

The Queer Health Study

A research project aims to explore the connections:

• Minority stress
• Body's stress response
• Substance use

Focus on Allostatic Load

• Cumulative damage to the body from prolonged stress
• Understanding relationships to improve health and well-being

Why It Matters

Impact

• Develop better support systems for the LGBTQ+ community
• Real people and their real struggles

Goal

• Make lives healthier and happier

Unique Challenges and Solutions

Challenges

• Unique challenges affecting health
• Recognizing these challenges is the first step

Solutions

• Studying connections between stress, health, and substance use
• Making a real impact on people's lives