# “I Am Very Happy That We Are Such Beautiful People”: Lived Experiences, Perceived Discrimination, and Mental Health in an LGBTIQ+ Community in Turkey

## TL;DR

This study explores the mental health of an LGBTIQ+ community in Turkey, highlighting discrimination's impact and how resilience helps mitigate it.

## Contribution

The study co-produced with activists provides new insights into the mental health and discrimination experiences of an understudied LGBTIQ+ community in Turkey.

## Key findings

- Participants frequently faced discrimination linked to lower mental well-being and higher psychological symptoms.
- Resilience factors reduced the negative impact of discrimination on mental health.
- Lived experiences revealed how identity-based practices help LGBTIQ+ individuals overcome adversity.

## Abstract

Co‐produced by LGBTIQ+ activists and academic researchers, this study gave voice to an understudied LGBTIQ+ community in Turkey to narrate their lived experiences and examined their exposure to discrimination in various areas of their lives in relation to their mental health. The study utilized a mixed‐method design, where 61 individuals who identified as LGBTIQ+, aged 18–47, responded to an online survey. The quantitative tools included questionnaires assessing mental well‐being, psychological symptoms, resilience, and perceived discrimination. Qualitatively, participants responded to open‐ended questions regarding their lived experiences, such as coming out, access to healthcare, and self‐care practices. Participants were frequently exposed to various forms of discrimination, which were associated with lower mental well‐being and higher psychological symptoms. However, personal resilience factors lowered or diminished the negative role of discrimination on mental health. Identity‐based lived experiences and practices further provided an in‐depth picture of life of LGBTIQ+ individuals in this community and how they overcome adversity.