LGBT+ and Mental Health Services: An Article Analysis

LGBT+ people will experience a variety of significant problems in their lifetime. LGBT+ often will have problems with legislation, their family, and also their social sphere. For some it can be a huge change that can cause massive shifts in their entire life. Latinx people also have different but similar struggles. Latinx people have to worry about racism, legislation, and social problems in the family and out. Due to the overlap that these two groups face, LGBT+ Latinx people often have to endure an intermingling of the two. Latinx people can be deeply religious, and that religiousness can cause some Latinx people to push away LGBT+ people. It can be described as, “LGBTQ+ Latinx individuals are particularly vulnerable as two of their core identities are being simultaneously targeted” (Alvarez-Hernandez, L. R. 2026). 

Alvarez-Hernandez et al. (2026) show that LGBT+ Latinx people in southern Texas face overlapping cultural, religious, and structural barriers that shape whether therapy feels safe and effective. The study highlights that identity-affirming, culturally aware providers, affordable access, and community-based support are essential for improving mental health outcomes in this population.

LGBT+ Latinx people often experience overlapping stressors tied to sexuality, race/ethnicity, family expectations, and religion, which increases vulnerability and makes mental health support especially important. Alvarez-Hernandez, L. R. et al. research in their study a microcosm of the LGBT+ community. This is done to understand some of the experiences that LGBT+ Latinx people go through in therapy and their marginalized identity. Within the study they examined LGBT+ Latinx people in southern Texas. They demonstrated a large number of people despite the study being only within southern Texas due to the density there. There are a large number of people there, “Texas has the second-largest LGBTQ+ population in the United States with over 1 million LGBTQ+ individuals” (Alvarez-Hernandez, L. R. 2026). Within that large group of people, a majority of those that live within southern Texas are Latinx people. Through the study, they made sure to highlight that much of the community experiences a lot of cultural conflicts.

  Because southern Texas contains a large and culturally distinct LGBT+ Latinx population, Alvarez-Hernandez et al. (2026) use this setting to examine how marginalization and cultural conflict shape therapy experiences in a concentrated “microcosm” of a broader national issue. When discussing with the researchers someone said, “people think, ‘you’ve seen a counselor, you’re crazy.’” (Alvarez-Hernandez, L. R. 2026). They expressed that therapy can sometimes be an option that can cause them to have suspicion from their family, or even considering that they might be ‘crazy’. This can make people feel dissuaded from even going in the first place since family is such a big aspect of Latinx culture. Sometimes people will seek therapy and will feel better for it, but often people will not pursue it due to those outside factors. Furthermore, LGBT+ people as a whole will experience other forms of discrimination, their identity sometimes will be erased or rejected by their families. Nonbinary people specifically face unique challenges with the Spanish language since most things are gendered in the way of speech. Using gender neutral pronouns in the English language is much easier and common than in Spanish. Latinx people, due to the formatting of the Spanish language, can tell quickly if the person is using different ways to refer to someone or something. Since the gender divide in the language is so big, it can cause people to come out of the closet prematurely. When Latinx LGBT+ people do seek therapy to alleviate these struggles, they often will face unique challenges that other groups may not face.

A major barrier described in the study is the stigma surrounding therapy and LGBT+ identity within some Latinx families and communities, which can discourage help-seeking and intensify isolation, especially for people whose gender identity is difficult to express in a heavily gendered language context. People from different backgrounds and places in their lives will need different care from their therapist, these are different therapy styles. This is no exception within LGBT+ Latinx people. Within the study, they found a few different “themes” within therapy that make it ineffective. One of the themes outlined is that “therapy is less effective when providers ignore [the patient’s] identities” (Alvarez-Hernandez, L. R. 2026). Often some mental health providers will not take into account the person’s family background or the stigma around it when coming into patient care especially with being Latinx. Some therapists may tell them to be much more open with their family, but sometimes that can get them into serious danger. They can be disconnected from the culture that arises much of the thoughts that they have. The study found that many providers “lack rapport building” which contributes to a lack of the understanding that is demonstrated (Alvarez-Hernandez, L. R. 2026). Furthermore, some therapists might not even be accepting of LGBT+ people. They can take their own religion into account rather than giving the care that the person needs. People can even find discrimination within the mental providers that help them. This can push LGBT+ Latinx people away from getting help entirely, “discrimination may lead individuals to delay or avoid seeking mental health care” according to the study (Alvarez-Hernandez, L. R. 2026). 

The article also shows that therapy becomes less effective when providers fail to build rapport or ignore the client’s intersecting identities, and in some cases provider bias or religious judgment can replicate the discrimination clients are already facing. The second theme found was “[lacking] control when choosing providers and clinics for therapy” (Alvarez-Hernandez, L. R. 2026). Often these Latinx LGBT+ people may not have the medical choice to be able to go to any therapist they want. It may be that they need to take a free option, or pay out of pocket. If someone can not afford the care, then they are barred from getting the care that they need. Some people also don’t have insurance which can also make it more difficult for the individual. Furthermore, when they did have insurance, “copays were a barrier to keeping a therapist who was a good fit” (Alvarez-Hernandez, L. R. 2026). The study discussed lowering these barriers to therapy can help the affected people. Giving a more equitable access to quality care that these people need   All in all, these made a large amount of the people who were searching for this kind of therapy.

Even when individuals want care, structural barriers such as limited provider choice, lack of insurance, and unaffordable copays restrict access and prevent LGBT+ Latinx clients from staying with therapists who are a good fit. Coming out is difficult, and for someone to do it alone is very difficult. With some of the problems previously mentioned, “the lack of rapport and feeling of safety with mental health providers, many participants found healing and trusting spaces in support groups where LGBTQ+ people were centered” (Alvarez-Hernandez, L. R. 2026). Giving people welcoming spaces in order to express themselves is dire for minority communities who face unique hardships. Without them they might not have an effective way to deal with those hardships or the community to figure out what the next step in any given moment might be. They can also find comfort in that community going through the same hardships. Community is the main way for LGBT+ Latinx people to be able to not only express themselves, but also thrive.

LGBT+ Latinx therapy experiences remain underrepresented in research, and expanding this work can guide more culturally responsive clinical practice while also informing future studies across other marginalized LGBT+ subgroups. Often minority groups can be underserved and underrepresented within research. Covering these topics is integral for not only the Latinx community, but also the LGBT+ community. It helps disperse information about each one individually and how people from both face unique hardships. While this is a microcosm of the community, there should be more research done within this field. Other minority groups within the LGBT+ community experience different hurdles, and that should be explored more within scientific literature. This serves as a guide for future research on the topic in how to tactfully research these groups while still being respectful to their needs.

Take Home Points

• Not all therapy is one size fits all, different groups have different needs for that therapy. Better access to quality therapy can help alleviate much of that problem.
• Community is a very large contributing factor to better mental health outcomes with the LGBT+ community. 
• LGBT+ Latinx people face unique challenges that should be handled tactfully, healthcare providers who build a rapport create better outcomes.