Resiliency and mental health and well-being among lesbian, gay and bisexual people

Reports concerning the mental well-being of lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people mostly focus on mental health issues, negative events and stress, and very few focus on strategies LGB use to achieve well-being. To address this gap, we report on a qualitative project involving 93 LGB people who completed an online survey. Participants provided accounts of resilience, particularly in relation to the ways in which they were caring for themselves. They were engaged in a wide variety of activities that supported their wellbeing related to social connections, self-care, interests and hobbies, and professional help. Despite this, we argue that there is a compelling need to ensure a wider mental health promotion focus is adopted to support LGB people lead mentally healthy lives.