ABSTRACT
Despite a history of research focused on pathology among sexual minority individuals, a body of work examining well-being among LGB individuals is emerging. This chapter provides a review of this research examining work with LGB individuals that has included measures of well-being as psychologists would operationalize the construct (i.e., as the presence of positive indicators of mental health as opposed to as the absence of negative indicators). Next, the chapter covers important research investigating resilience among sexual minority individuals. Though most of this work assesses “well-being” from a pathology model, examining constructs such as depression and anxiety (or the lack thereof), the idea of resilience itself is considered by many to be critical to discussions of well-being. The chapter ends with a discussion of future research and implications for both policy and practice, concluding with a consideration of how increased acceptance of LGB individuals might impact well-being and resilience.
