Mental Health Studies Rarely Report Sexual Orientation

Researchers at two universities report, nearly no studies on clinical trials for depression and anxiety treatments include information on the sexual orientation or transgender identity of participants. Researchers at Marquette University and the University of California San Francisco say the lack of information on LGBT trial participants, or whether any of them identify as transgender, could be clouding the efficacy of treatment for depression and anxiety. The researchers say understanding whether methods of care work for what is already an underserved population is important to providing proper healthcare. Dr. Annesa Flentje, an assistant professor at the University of California San Francisco, said in a press release. "We hope that LGBT patients will feel empowered to ask if the treatment they are getting has been shown to work for people in their community."