Queer History Month: How are queer people doing in Germany?

According to current estimates, more than 9 million people in Germany are lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans* and/or otherwise queer - this corresponds to around 11% of the population. In comparison, there are surprisingly few studies on the mental health of queer people, especially in German-speaking countries.

This is why Witten/Herdecke University (UW/H), under the direction of Jan Schürmann-Vengels, junior professor for specific fields of activity in clinical psychology, initiated a study in 2022 to record the well-being and psychological stress of around 1,700 queer people from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The information provided by the queer people was compared with a representative sample from the general population. It was found that the well-being of queer people is only slightly lower, but the psychological stress is significantly higher than in the general population. Queer people in German-speaking countries are therefore more frequently affected by depression, anxiety and stress in everyday life.

Differences in the mental health of different LGBTQ+ communities

A closer look at the data reveals differences between the various LGBTQ+ communities: Lesbian and gay people were found to be similarly satisfied as the general population, but showed a higher level of psychological stress in everyday life in comparison; the values were around 1.6 times higher. The more than 300 trans* and non-binary people who took part in the study had even higher psychological stress levels: they were 2 to 2.5 times higher than in the general population.

The initial findings of the study will be published in a specialist journal in the coming weeks.

The assessment of mental health has changed over time

In the past, many forms of sexual and gender diversity were criminalised and pathologised. It was not until 1994 that Paragraph 175, which penalised sexual acts between men, was abolished in Germany. Internationally, homosexuality and bisexuality were long regarded as mental disorders. It was not until 2020 that conversion therapies - therapeutic attempts to change sexual orientation or gender identity towards the norm - were banned in Germany for minors. Until recently, an official diagnosis was used that generally categorised trans* people as pathological.

Despite many historical improvements, queer people still have negative experiences (e.g. discrimination, fear of rejection or structural barriers).

Today, research assumes that these additional stress factors contribute to higher psychological strain.

Further studies are necessary

In order to visualise the needs of trans* and non-binary people, more studies are needed on the factors that influence their mental health, says junior professor Jan Schürmann-Vengels. This is why he and his team are launching the SocNet-TNB study (social network diagnostics with trans* and non-binary people) this year. The aim of the study is to record the participants' social relationships in a more differentiated way than usual using a systemic approach.

"To do this, we use a graphical and easy-to-understand web tool that the participants use in interviews with trained staff," explains Schürmann-Vengels. This allows the individual experiences of trans* and non-binary people to be mapped: How do they experience stressful and entangled relationships? Which people (e.g. friends or relatives) are particularly supportive and have their back?

The study is being conducted in cooperation with the Chair of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy III at UW/H and the University of Kassel. The results will be used to determine which relationship patterns are particularly important for the mental health of queer people. The researchers also want to develop recommendations for counselling and therapy services.