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Cultural Considerations in Behavioral Health Service Delivery with LGBT Populations

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Abstract

In the USA, the LGBT community has grown significantly and continues to grow. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals encounter a range of stressors throughout their lifetime. Compared to heterosexuals the LGBT community reports higher prevalence rates of anxiety, depression, trauma, substance abuse, and suicide. Minority stress has been linked to increased psychological distress among sexual minorities, specifically prejudice and discrimination. Several evidence-based treatments have been adapted to address the specific needs of the LGBT community, including addressing minority stress, specifically cognitive behavioral therapy. In this chapter we discuss prevalence’s rates of psychological distress among the LGBT community, adapted treatments for working with LGBT, and describe several guidelines and principles to assist in working with the LGBT community.

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Gonzalez, F.R. (2020). Cultural Considerations in Behavioral Health Service Delivery with LGBT Populations. In: Benuto, L.T., Gonzalez, F.R., Singer, J. (eds) Handbook of Cultural Factors in Behavioral Health. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-32229-8_13

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