Aid workers provide critical services to millions of vulnerable people around the world in extremely challenging settings, including contexts of war, instability, and extreme poverty. They routinely face stressful and traumatic working conditions, and experience elevated rates of mental health symptoms (Ehrenreich & Elliot, 2004; Gritti, 2015; Young & Pakenham, 2021). Emerging research with aid workers is beginning to highlight contextual and behavioral risk factors for poor mental health as well as correlates of well-being, but often excludes critical demographic distinctions that would promote a deeper understanding of the needs of sub-groups within this population (Young et al., 2021). Notably, despite research showing that sexual and gender minorities (SGM) are at particular risk for poor mental health (Plöderl & Tremblay, 2015), consideration of mental health needs and challenges linked to minority sexual orientations and gender identities is almost completely absent from the literature on aid worker mental health.

The current study sought to understand various factors impacting SGM aid workers’ mental health and well-being. Participants were 63 aid workers of 13 nationalities, who were actively working in 45 countries around the world. Participants were recruited via social media and targeted emails, and all participants identified as SGM. The study employed a concurrent, mixed-methods approach to collect and analyze qualitative and quantitative data. Results found that concealment of sexual orientation, workplace climate for SGM, and perceived organizational support each independently predicted psychological distress and well-being, when controlling for age. Qualitative data confirmed and added nuance to these relationships. Clinical and organizational implications are discussed.