A mental health clinic for patients who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender will open at UAB on Monday, becoming the first of its kind in Alabama.

The clinic will operate out of the Department of Psychiatry space at the Callahan Eye Hospital. Dr. Larry McMillan, who recently joined the faculty at UAB, will treat patients at the clinic.

Members of the LGBTQ community are three times more likely to suffer from major depression and anxiety then their straight counterparts, according to the National Alliance for Mental Illness. Gay, lesbian and transgender youth attempt suicide two of three times more often than others, according to the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Prejudice and family rejection can cause suicidal thoughts and lead to substance abuse.

"Many members of the LGBTQ community are not inclined to seek professional help when they are in need due to fears of being marginalized or stigmatized," McMillan said in a statement. "We want to knock down those barriers to care so that the new clinic is a welcoming environment where those who identify as LGBTQ will feel comfortable enough to seek assistance for their mental health needs."