ABSTRACT
Members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) population experience higher rates of substance use across their lifespans compared to heterosexual and cisgender individuals. LGBTQ+ individuals face minority stressors due to social stigmatization surrounding their identities that contribute to disparities in health outcomes. Minority stressors include both the distal experiences of discrimination and victimization, and the proximal experiences of internalized stigma, expectations of rejection, or concealment of one’s minority identity. Developmental conditions may shape minority stressors in distinct ways across the lifespan contributing to high rates of substance use for LGBTQ+ individuals. This chapter provides an overview of substance use among the LGBTQ+ population within four different developmental periods: adolescence, emerging adulthood, middle adulthood, and older adulthood. Minority stress theory provides a framework for understanding factors that lead to substance misuse among this population. This chapter concludes with a review of considerations for treating substance misuse within these communities.
