A Systematic Review of Mental Health Outcomes, Challenges, and Resilience Among Sexual and Gender Minority Individuals Who Are Currently and Formerly Incarcerated

Background: Although the elevated attention has been drawn to sexual and gender minority (SGM) people and their mental health, those who are currently and formerly incarcerated remain largely overlooked. To understand both their psychological well-being during and after incarceration and their re-entry challenges is critical for health equity and inclusion.
Methods: A systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines to identify peer-reviewed articles published between 2000 and 2025 from Scopus and Pubmed, with additional relevant records retrieved from EBSCO. Studies conducted outside the United States were excluded to ensure consistency in legal and correctional contexts. Eligible studies were analyzed to offer key themes by using thematic analysis approach.
Results: Of the 42 studies identified in this research, 15 articles were included in the final review. Ten out of fifteen studies examined mental health issues, such as depressive symptom, anxiety and psychological distress. Six studies highlighted that the need for policy reform and inclusive training for healthcare professionals and staff is necessary. Disrupted social support and intersectional discrimination were observed among incarcerated SGM individuals. Four themes were synthesized: (1) Intersected stigma (2) Institutional harm and mental health consequences (3) Post-release challenges (4) Coping and reintergration strategies.
Conclusions:The findings suggest that community, peer and social support network resources are critical for fostering resilience and optimizing mental health outcomes for this SGM group during community re-entry. Policy reform, inclusive training for correctional healthcare professionals, and enhanced community-based re-entry program are essential to alleviate institutional harm and promote mental health improvement for this vulnerable population.

Sexual and gender minority; incarceration; mental health; discrimination

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