This article references suicide.
In Canada, queer and gender diverse people are more likely to live in cities than rural areas. This is often attributed to seeking community in metropolitan areas. Stronger connections to community can have positive impacts, but does living in an urban area really influence 2SLGBTQIA+ mental health?
Lesbian, gay, and bisexual people living in rural areas are more likely to experience depression and anxiety compared to urban. In particular, rural LGBTQ youth more often describe their community as unaccepting, experiencing higher rates of depression, thoughts of suicide, and attempted suicide. It’s important to highlight that more research is needed on rural mental health, especially among queer and trans populations. 2SLGBTQIA+ research often samples mainly urban individuals, and stories of flourishing in rural regions are not captured.
Despite differences in mental health across urban versus rural regions, there are many practices for wellbeing across settings. Finding community and support can be achieved wherever you live, whether in a large city or small town.
Practices for 2SLGBTQIA+ wellbeing in rural areas
It can often be more difficult to access mental health services in rural regions, especially for 2SLGBTQIA+ people. Connecting with the community that does exist in the area and building awareness among family and community members can be helpful. Some research has shown positive effects for 2SLGBTQIA+ people from close knit rural communities, even when a strong queer and trans community is not present. Participating in local support groups, virtual networks, peer mental health supports, and connecting older 2SLGBTQIA+ adults with new community members are promising ways to improve and maintain mental health for 2SLGBTIQA+ people living in rural areas. Lastly, virtual mental health services can be great options to access care and affirming mental health supports when limited in-person services are available in your region.
More work is needed to better understand the experiences of 2SLGBTQIA+ people living in rural areas and the positive impacts of living in rural regions on mental health and how we can provide the best support.
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