Clinical Report: Well-Being Among Sexual Minority Health Care Professionals

Overview

A National Health Interview Survey analysis found that sexual minority health care professionals reported more depression, psychological distress, and cost-related barriers to care than heterosexual peers. Related studies cited in the article describe similar well-being disparities among sexual minority trainees and gender-diverse nurses.

Background

Health care training and work occur across professions and institutional settings, and the article notes that socioeconomic security is not experienced equally by all health care professionals. The study by Gonzales and colleagues used National Health Interview Survey data from 2020, 2021, 2023, and 2024, which included sexual orientation and occupational information. Its occupational data did not permit detailed comparisons among specific professions, and the analysis included 159 sexual minority professionals among 2,890 health care professionals. The article places these findings alongside prior reports of poorer well-being among sexual and gender minority professionals and cost-related barriers to care among sexual minority adults.

Data Highlights

Key Findings

• In the NHIS analysis, sexual minority health care professionals more frequently reported a lifetime depression diagnosis and moderate-to-severe psychological distress than heterosexual colleagues; differences remained statistically significant after adjustment.
• Sexual minority professionals more often reported postponing medical care because of cost and foregoing mental health services or prescription medications for financial reasons.
• The NHIS analysis included 159 sexual minority professionals, representing 5.7% of the 2,890 health care professionals studied; occupational data did not support stratification by specific health care profession.
• Prior studies cited in the article reported greater burnout among sexual minority emergency medicine residents, sexual minority medical students, and SGM general surgery residents, as well as poorer occupational well-being among SGM academic physicians and trainees.
• Among 52,491 nurses surveyed in New York and Illinois in 2021, transgender and gender-diverse nurses had higher odds of high burnout, job dissatisfaction, and poorer overall health, including depression and anxiety symptoms.
• Separate evidence cited in the article found cost-related access difficulties among sexual minority adults; a 2026 KFF survey of 2,640 SGM adults also reported greater difficulty accessing and affording care than among non-SGM peers.

Clinical Implications

The article reports that sexual minority health care professionals experience disparities in mental health and cost-related access to care, while related studies describe well-being disparities across training and practice settings. The NHIS analysis could not distinguish among specific health care professions, so its findings do not establish profession-specific differences.

Conclusion

The article situates the NHIS findings within a broader pattern of reported distress and care-access barriers among sexual and gender minority health care professionals and adults. The available occupational data limit comparisons among individual health care professions.

Related Resources & Content

1. Gonzales et al., JAMA Network Open, 2026 -- Differences in Health and Access to Care Between Heterosexual and Sexual Minority Health Care Professionals
2. Rudolph et al., JAMA Network Open, 2026 -- Burnout Among Sexual Minority Emergency Medicine Residents—Confirming What We Know in a Hostile Climate
3. The ASCO Post, 2019 -- Access to Care and Quality of Life Among Sexual Minority Cancer Survivors: Key Points
4. ASCO Publications, 2015 -- “Just Ask Us” LGBTQI Patient and Provider Experiences
5. ASCO Publications — “Just Ask Us” LGBTQI Patient and Provider Experiences.
6. Differences in Health and Access to Care Between Heterosexual and Sexual Minority Health Care Professionals
7. Burnout Among Sexual Minority Emergency Medicine Residents—Confirming What We Know in a Hostile Climate
8. Access to Care and Quality of Life Among Sexual Minority Cancer Survivors: Key Points
9. “Just Ask Us” LGBTQI Patient and Provider Experiences
10. Sexual Orientation and Burnout Among Emergency Medicine Residents | Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion | JAMA Network Open | JAMA Network
11. National Academy of Medicine Announces Over 20 New Change Maker Accelerators to Advance Health Workforce Well-Being - NAM