Drug Abuse Rates Nearly Double In LGBT Community, But There Is Hope

Gays, lesbians and bisexuals are also more likely to seek out treatment.

From: NewNowNext

 A new report from the U.S. government indicates lesbian, gay and bisexual adults are much more likely to experience substance abuse than heterosexuals.

Research from the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health reveals that 39% of lesbian, gay and bisexual people reported using some type of illicit drug in the past year, compared to 17% of heterosexuals surveyed.

Some 15% of LGB adults battled addiction, with less than 8% of their straight counterparts reporting the same.

Meanwhile, 37.4% of gay/bi adults reported suffering from mental health issues in the past year, compared to just 17% of heterosexual adults.

“This report offers unprecedented insight into the behavioral health needs of lesbian, gay and bisexual Americans— people critical to our community whose health concerns have often been overlooked,” says Kana Enomoto of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

The data covers a wide variety of behaviors: Smoking rates were about 32% among gay/bi Americans, for example, compared to just under 21% for straight adults.

Fortunately, the rates for those seeking treatment were higher here as well: Among adults, 15.3% of gay and bi people were treated at specialty facility, compared with 10.6% of heterosexuals.

And 48.5% of LGB adults sought treatment for mental health versus 42.6% of straight people.