LGBTQ Coloradans Experienced the Most Mental Health Strain Last Year
The Colorado Health Foundation conducted a poll in April of this year on 3,000 Coloradans regarding their concerns on mental health, well-being, and their substance use. The poll found that LGBTQ Coloradans under the age of 50 experienced the largest mental health strain across multiple populations and regions.
In general, nearly two-thirds of Coloradans believe mental health is a serious issue in Colorado. Two-thirds believe that the cost of mental healthcare in Colorado is a serious problem, and one-quarter of Coloradans believe substance use is also a problem. This is partially due to the increase in substance use in the last few years. Since 2020, substance use has increased by 8%. LGBTQ individuals at 25% are the most likely to worry about their consumption of drugs and alcohol.
Additionally, 67% of BIPOC Coloradans rated mental health as a serious problem. Both BIPOC and LGBTQ Coloradans were more concerned with mental health and its cost than with substance use.
The poll found that nearly two in five Coloradans worry about not having health insurance. BIPOC and LGBTQ Coloradans are more likely to worry about not having insurance. There are many factors that contribute to this worry: LGBTQ and BIPOC individuals are more likely to experience out-of-pocket costs, services being too expensive, less access to providers and resources, and unfair treatment when seeking health services.
Having out-of-pocket costs is also a major challenge to healthcare for all Coloradans, according to the poll.
“Obviously, when there is a situation where for many Coloradans, their health insurance won’t cover mental health services or won’t adequately cover them, it means more out-of-pocket costs and it means that that becomes an even greater barrier,” says Dave Metz, research partner and president of FM3 Research.
This causes individuals to postpone their medical care due to financial instability, lack of insurance, and fear of discrimination. Postponement of medical care has increased by 6% in the last year. LGBTQ and Disabled Coloradans are more likely to have postponed care. These insurmountable barriers close off access to mental healthcare. This has caused two in five Coloradans to experience mental health strain in 2021.
Of the 3,000 Coloradans represented in the poll, those most likely to have experienced mental health strain in the past year are LGBTQ Coloradans at 84%, well over two-thirds of the poll’s LGBTQ participants. If the barriers LGBTQ Coloradans face in accessing mental healthcare don’t improve, that strain is only going to increase. The impact of healthcare and mental healthcare on the LGBTQ community can be life-changing but the barriers can make living authentically ourselves with a piece of mind inaccessible to most of us.
Screenshot courtesy of Colorado Health on YouTube
