Understanding the Well-Being of LGBTQI+ Populations

Course overview

This course is based upon material published by the National Academies Press and is available as an open-access article. Many current national surveys and other data collection instruments lack measures of sexual orientation, gender identity, and sexual behavior and attraction, which makes it difficult to accurately report the size and other characteristics of sexual and gender diverse (SGD) populations. To address the lack of broad and consistent data, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened a committee of experts to review the available evidence and identify future research needs related to the well-being of sexual and gender diverse populations across the life course. The committee focused on eight domains of well-being: the effects of various laws and the legal system on SGD populations; the effects of various public policies and structural stigma; community and civic engagement; families and social relationships; education, including school climate and level of attainment; economic experiences (e.g., employment, compensation, and housing); physical and mental health; and health care access and gender-affirming interventions. The well-being of an individual can be thought of as an outcome of experiences with family and personal relationships, as well as interactions with many societal sectors and such systems as education, employment, and government. This course summarizes the evidence in each of the eight domains and makes recommendations for future research. This course on the well-being of LGBT individuals is designed for social workers, professional counselors, psychologists, nurses, and substance abuse counselors, who do clinical work. This course is appropriate for beginning, intermediate, and advanced level practitioners who wish to develop or increase their knowledge of LGBT well-being. It may also be useful for licensed clinicians who require clinical continuing education courses for license renewal. Contributors: Charlotte J. Patterson, Mart n-Jos Sep lveda, and Jordyn White, Editors; Committee on Understanding the Well-Being of Sexual and Gender Diverse Populations; Committee on Population; Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education; National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Learning Objectives: This course will provide the practitioner with detailed information regarding LGBT well-being. Specifically, a professional will: Identify the effects of various public policies and structural stigma on the well-being of SGD individuals Recognize how SGD people are impacted economically by their sexual orientation and gender identity Demonstrate how health care access impacts SGD well-being Citation: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 2020. Understanding the Well-Being of LGBTQI+ Populations. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/25877.