Assessing Need and Access to LGBTQ+ Affirming and Affordable Behavioral Healthcare in Chicago

Overall LGBTQ+ individuals are 2.5 times more likely to experience depression, anxiety, and substance abuse compared to heterosexual individuals. Howard Brown Health worked in partnership with other community-based organizations (CBOs) that provide behavioral health services throughout Chicago to research and better understand barriers and facilitators to accessing affordable and LGBTQ+ affirming behavioral healthcare in the greater Chicago area. The research also illustrates unmet mental and behavioral healthcare needs and highlights existing gaps in LGBTQ+ affirming and affordable behavioral health services in Chicago.