ONS statistics about drug-related deaths in LGBTQ+ people are grim, but having them makes me hopeful
Marc Svensson, a social psychologist and expert in LGBTQ+ mental health and drug misuse, gives his opinion on mortality rates by sexual orientation
“The lack of reliable data on the occurrence of both suicide and drug-related deaths in the gay community is likely one of the reasons why preventative resources and support are so scarce. If we don’t know the scale of the problem, how are we expected to develop interventions to prevent them?”
Those are my own words, taken from an article I wrote in this magazine 16 months ago, investigating why we are losing so many gay men to chemsex and suicide. At the time, I was about to launch You Are Loved, a non-profit organisation started in response to the high rates of sudden premature deaths in our community. Obtaining reliable data to evidence the disproportionately high death rates was our top priority.
As someone who has researched and worked in queer mental health for over a decade, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) findings published earlier this week were neither a revelation nor a surprise, but rather an overdue and vital confirmation.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS): All-cause and cause-specific mortality by sexual orientation
On the 13 January, ONS published an analysis of all-cause and specific-cause mortality by sexual orientation. By linking sexual orientation data from the 2021 Census with death registrations in England and Wales between 2021 and 2024, the analysis outlined grim disparities between LGB+ people and straight people.
It found that LGB+ people were almost three times (2.8) more likely to die from a drug-related death and almost twice (1.8) as likely to die from an alcohol-related death compared to straight people. It also reiterated that suicide rates were more than twice as high (2.2) among LGB+ people – a finding the ONS had already published in the spring of last year.
While these health disparities are alarming, the true picture is almost certainly even grimmer. Firstly, gender minority people were not included in the analysis. Their inclusion would likely have contributed to even greater disparities, given their marginalised status in society and the associated high rates of suicidal ideation, poor mental health, and drug and alcohol misuse.
People in midlife are more likely to die from suicide and drug-related cause
In addition, census data on sexual orientation is almost certainly an underestimate, as the question was voluntary. Finally, people in midlife are more likely to die from suicide and drug-related causes (both of which peak in the 40s), while also being less likely to be open about their sexual orientation compared to younger people.
Underestimate or not, the findings confirm beyond any doubt the ongoing silent epidemic in our community that my colleagues and I have been highlighting for years. It is a relief that we no longer have to rely solely on anecdotal evidence when trying to convince governmental bodies and healthcare providers to direct appropriate support and funding towards our community’s escalating mental health and drug misuse crisis.
This makes me feel hopeful, but my overall sense of hopefulness does not stem from these findings alone. I feel hopeful because I see tangible steps being taken to address this issue holistically, both within our community and across the wider healthcare system. Most of us now recognise that drug misuse and addiction are symptoms of, or coping mechanisms for, underlying issues, and that the only way to bring LGBTQ+ people’s health and wellbeing to the same level as that of straight people is by addressing those root causes.
I believe our community is taking significant steps towards addressing these root causes
I am hopeful because I believe our community is taking significant steps towards addressing these root causes every day. Community initiatives focused on fostering meaningful connection to combat loneliness are popping up everywhere. Queer people are bravely speaking up about their struggles with shame, stigma, and low self-worth. Community spaces are being created to talk, listen, and support one another.
Broader societal movements are also giving me hope. The NHS 10-year plan focuses on prevention, community interventions, and bringing mental health on par with physical health – all welcome strategic shifts that I believe will benefit our community. The NHS, which commissioned this ONS analysis as part of a large nationwide LGBTQ+ health review currently underway, along with local authorities across London and beyond, appears to be taking deliberate steps to address health inequalities within the LGBTQ+ community, including escalating concerns about chemsex.
Mainstream awareness of the growing chemsex crisis also gained substantial momentum last year through several news reports, documentaries, and campaigns, including ITVX’s After the High: Chemsex Beyond the Myths, Impulse London’s Chemtrail campaign series, and BBC Radio 4’s recent investigation, Chemsex: Hidden Pleasures, Hidden Harms. Alongside this media attention, a growing number of professionals across the mental health, sexual health, and drug misuse and addiction sectors are coming together to raise awareness and drive meaningful change.
Both despite and because of the ONS findings, I am heading into 2026 with an optimistic spirit – proud to be part of this growing movement and hopeful about the difference we can make together.
Marc Svensson is a social psychologist and expert in LGBTQ+ mental health and drug misuse. He is the founder of You Are Loved (You Are Loved), whose mission is to reduce deaths from suicide and drugs in the LGBTQ+ community.
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