New research published in the science journal Nature Human Behavior reveals that economic status impacts the emotional well-being of LGBTQ+ people, compounding the effects of anti-LGBTQ+ prejudice in their lives.A study from the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) and UNAIDS, published in December, establishes a link between LGBTQ+-phobia and unfavorable socio-economic conditions by analyzing data from 153 countries in theGlobal LGBTQ+ Happiness Survey, an international review that gathered data from 82,354 participants worldwide. Related Religiosity is keeping HIV-positive Ugandans from getting the care they need The new research reveals that family rejection is the most damaging form of LGBTQ+ prejudice on the well-being of those affected. Unfavorable socio-economic status was found to accentuate the effects: the more economically precarious a person is, the greater the rejection they experience, and vice versa. That correlation grows in countries with the greatest economic inequalities.Participants from the Middle East and North Africa reported the lowest subjective well-being, followed by Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Structural homophobia in societies and family-level homophobia were both clear indicators negatively related to LGBTQ+ well-being. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Individual economic precarity, regardless of the country participants reported from, significantly interacted with the negative association between homophobia and participants well-being, the authors write. But the weight of a countrys homophobic climate on well-being was nearly halved for economically secure participants compared with those economically deprived, meaning that wealthier LGBTQ+ people in anti-LGBTQ+ environments were able to escape a significant part of the hit to their well-being.The study is the first part of a research program aimed at analyzing how the deterioration of well-being can impact an LGBTQ+ persons ability to cope with social risks, such as an increase in unsafe sexual practices and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. Controlling for homophobia, participants unaware of their HIV status reported the lowest well-being, the research revealed.The results highlight the need to consider these distinct vulnerabilities when developing public policies aimed at combating discrimination against LGBTQ+ people, the authors write. In a global context where inclusion policies are regularly questioned, LGBT-phobia poses a significant risk to the well-being and mental health of the communities concerned.Public health measures should address homophobic stigma and discrimination, focusing on the lowest socioeconomic strata, the authors advise.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.