8.X.2. PechaKucha: LGBTQ+ people navigating societal adversities & mental health risk across the lifespan & contexts

Abstract Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other sexual/gender minority (LGBTQ+) people face societal obstacles to mental health and well-being. Chief among these is social stigma, manifest as prejudice and discrimination based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity. Yet societal adversity for LGBTQ+ individuals can take diverse forms, including lack of social safety and support, exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and intersectional discrimination (e.g., experiencing poverty resulting from the intersection of racial and sexual minority oppression within a given society). These complex and multifaceted risk factors have received relatively less attention in the literature on LGBTQ+ mental health compared to stigma. Furthermore, most past research on these topics has been conducted with exclusively cisgender LGB samples and primarily in Western countries, particularly the United States. The current workshop advances this literature by presenting results from novel research examining how LGBTQ+ individuals navigate societal adversity in relation to mental health across cultures. Using different types of data, ranging from population- to community-based samples, this workshop charts diverse societal adversities for LGBTQ+ individuals across different cultural contexts-European and African-in order to understand mental health risks disproportionally affecting LGBTQ+ people, including depression and anxiety, suicidality, and substance abuse. Dr. Pitoňák will present a study investigating minority stress and interpersonal factors predicting suicidality among Czech LGBT+ people. Dr. Smart will present a Swedish population-based registry study examining disparities in ACEs based on sexual orientation and contributions to inequalities in internalizing psychopathology. Dr. Muga will present findings from a survey of Kenyan and Rwandan LGBTQ+ people relating intersectional discrimination to substance use. Implications of these novel, multidisciplinary projects for ensuring health equity for LGBTQ+ populations globally will be discussed. Key messages • LGBTQ+ people face societal adversities influencing mental health, including lack of safety & support, ACEs, and intersectional discrimination. • Understanding cultural contexts is vital for contextualising the influence of societal adversities on LGBTQ+ mental health risk.