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In results from Australia’s 2020–2022 National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing, 43.9% of LGB+ respondents had high or very high psychological distress, compared with 15.4% of heterosexual respondents. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) published the figures on 27 February 2024. They describe reported distress, not a diagnosis—and the survey does not show that sexual orientation causes distress.
What the survey found
The ABS figures below come from its analysis of the 2020–2022 National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing. “LGB+” means respondents who described their sexual orientation as gay or lesbian, bisexual, or another term such as asexual, pansexual or queer. The ABS treats sexual orientation and gender as separate characteristics.
| Group | High or very high psychological distress |
|---|---|
| LGB+ respondents | 43.9% |
| Heterosexual respondents | 15.4% |
| Gay or lesbian respondents | 28.6% |
| Bisexual respondents | 51.5% |
These are survey estimates, and the ABS displays margins of error with its results. The overall LGB+ figure does not represent every LGBTQ+ group equally: the reported rates differ between gay or lesbian and bisexual respondents, and reliable estimates were not available for every population covered by the study’s variables. The ABS explains the definitions and figures in its 2024 article on mental health findings for LGBTQ+ Australians.
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The ABS used the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10), a widely used indicator rather than a diagnostic tool. Its ten questions ask how often respondents experienced particular emotional states in the four weeks before their interview. Answers range from “none of the time” to “all of the time.” The reported percentage is the share classified as having high or very high distress on that measure—not the share diagnosed with a mental illness.
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Distress is different from a mental-disorder measure
The same ABS analysis reports other outcomes, but they measure different things and use different time windows. They should not be treated as interchangeable with the four-week K10 result.
| Measure and reference period | LGB+ respondents | Comparison group |
|---|---|---|
| Experienced a mental disorder at some time in their life | 74.5% | 41.7% of heterosexual respondents |
| Had a mental disorder in the previous 12 months | 58.7% | 19.9% of heterosexual respondents |
| Saw a health professional for mental health in the previous 12 months | 46.8% | 16.0% of heterosexual respondents |
| Had self-harmed in their lifetime | 41.2% | 7.4% of heterosexual respondents |
The lifetime and 12-month mental-disorder estimates are separate from current psychological distress. The ABS’s wider National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing, 2020–2022 also reports that 33.1% of transgender respondents had a mental disorder in the previous 12 months, compared with 21.3% of cisgender respondents. Differences in age structure and social, economic or health circumstances may influence rates; these observational results do not establish a cause.
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What newer ABS figures can—and cannot—tell us
The ABS’s 2025 General Social Survey, published in 2026, found that 18% of people identifying as gay, lesbian or bisexual experienced very high psychological distress, compared with 9% of Australians overall. This is useful newer context, but it is not a like-for-like update to the 2020–2022 result: the population grouping differs, and the newer figure uses a very-high threshold rather than the earlier high-or-very-high category. It should not be read as proof that distress rose or fell. The figures are in the ABS General Social Survey: Summary Results, Australia, 2025.
Why the figures do not explain the disparity
A survey showing different outcomes cannot, by itself, establish why they differ. Healthdirect states that being LGBTIQA+ does not itself cause mental illness; it notes that distress can be related to experiences such as stigma, discrimination—including homophobia or transphobia—and abuse. Those experiences provide important context, not a causal finding from this ABS comparison. The National Mental Health Commission’s response called for safe, culturally sensitive mainstream and community-based options for LGBTIQA+ communities.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Finding support in Australia
If you or someone close to you needs support, these services are listed by the ABS. Check their websites or the ABS article for current contact details and hours, as these can change.
- Lifeline: 13 11 14, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
- QLife: 1800 084 527, 3pm to midnight, seven days a week.
- Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
- Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
- 13YARN: 13 92 76, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
For responsible, safe reporting about suicide and mental-health concerns, the ABS points readers to Mindframe guidance. If this subject is distressing, consider contacting one of the support services above.
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