ABSTRACT Aims To examine workplace experiences, perspectives on coming out at work, organisational climate and mental health status of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning and other sexual, and gender minority healthcare providers (LGBTQ+ HCPs) within an East Asian cultural context. Design Observational, cross‐sectional study. Methods An online cross‐sectional survey was conducted among 173 Taiwanese LGBTQ+ HCPs between May and August 2024. Results Most of the 173 respondents did not disclose their LGBTQ+ identities to any colleagues, and approximately two‐fifths met the clinically significant threshold for depressive symptoms. Furthermore, compared to LGBTQ+ HCPs who disclosed to all, most, about half or a few colleagues, those who had not disclosed to any colleagues reported higher levels of depressive symptoms, lower self‐esteem, less comfort with disclosure, greater perceived necessity to conceal their LGBTQ+ identities, lower scores for job stability or security, poorer interpersonal relations and lower agreement that an LGBTQ+‐inclusive workplace climate would influence their willingness to remain in their current jobs. Although approximately 80% of the LGBTQ+ HCPs reported that they were familiar with national workplace antidiscrimination laws and that their organisations had grievance mechanisms, nearly two‐fifths did not trust the grievance systems or procedures within their organisations. Conclusion Results emphasise the urgent need to create an LGBTQ+‐inclusive workplace environment with clear and enforceable antidiscrimination policies and inclusive organisational practices to improve both disclosure safety and mental health outcomes for LGBTQ+ HCPs. Impact The study results extend existing knowledge by identifying the relationship between different levels of disclosure and mental health status among LGBTQ+ HCPs. They also highlight the importance of establishing support groups, a comprehensive mental health referral system and enforcement mechanisms that safeguard legal rights without compromising the privacy or safety of LGBTQ+ HCPs. Patient or Public Contribution No patient or public contribution.
Wang et al. (Thu,) studied this question.