Gay and Lesbian Mental Health lecture by aware.ie 10/06/09

Nevyn

For anyone who might be interested and yes despite there lack of mention of Bisexuals in the title it covers us too.

Gay and Lesbian Mental Health lecture by aware.ie 10/06/09


http://www.aware.ie/lectures.php

Dublin Monthly Lecture Series 2009

All lectures listed below take place at the Lecture Theatre, Swift Centre, St. Patrick's Hospital, James's St, D8 at 7.30pm sharp. Paid parking is available in the car park at St Patrick's Hospital (entrance via Steevan's Lane), or alternatively take the Luas to Heuston Station.

http://www.glen.ie/public/pdfs/Mental%20Health%20Report%202004.pdf

The mental health and well-being of lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people in Ireland was highlighted in the PDF Icon2003 GLEN Mental Health Report (published in conjunction the former Northern Area Health Board). This report describes how the experience of marginalisation can impact on LGB people’s general and emotional health and their use of health and social services. In addition to this, international research has highlighted the negative impact that marginalisation, stigmatisation and discrimination can have on the mental health and well-being of some LGB people.

Some of the key findings from research are:

* LGB people are more likely to attempt suicide compared to their heterosexual peers
* LGB people are also more likely to have substance abuse or mental health problems (depression and anxiety), which are known risk factors for both attempted and completed suicide

A large body of published empirical research clearly refutes the notion that homosexuality per se is indicative of or correlated with psychopathology. Indeed, the American Psychological Association (APA) state, "The reality is that homosexuality is not an illness. It does not require treatment and is not changeable". The APA also state "for some people the coming out process is difficult, for others it is not. Often lesbian, gay and bisexual people feel afraid, different, and alone when they first realize that their sexual orientation is not a heterosexual one".

"This is particularly true for people becoming aware of their gay, lesbian, or bisexual orientation as a child or adolescent, which is not uncommon. And, depending on their families and where they live, they may have to struggle against prejudice and misinformation about homosexuality. Children and adolescents may be particularly vulnerable to the deleterious effects of bias and stereotypes. They may also fear being rejected by family, friends, co-workers, and religious institutions. Some gay people have to worry about losing their jobs or being harassed at school if their sexual orientation became well known".

Oracle

The topic of lesbian and gay mental health is completely out of place in a lecture series such as this. This is a lecture series mainly on mental illness (disorders), for example, the next lecture is on Bipolar Disorder. As homosexuality is not a mental illness it should not be part of this lecture series.

Maybe the psychiatrists are hoping to get homosexuality back in the DSM as a mental disorder. They're always looking for new recruits.

dan719

Oracle wrote: »

The topic of lesbian and gay mental health is completely out of place in a lecture series such as this. This is a lecture series mainly on mental illness (disorders), for example, the next lecture is on Bipolar Disorder. As homosexuality is not a mental illness it should not be part of this lecture series.

Maybe the psychiatrists are hoping to get homosexuality back in the DSM as a mental disorder. They're always looking for new recruits.

Or maybe, just maybe, the lecture series recognises that LGBT people tend to have a higher incidence of mental health issues such as depression, drug addiction and so on, and they are simply trying to highlight this and suggest treatment/ approaches that can be tailored for problems that while not unique to the LGB community, require a special approach when present in the same.

Of course that viewpoint wouldn't allow you to feel all offended and put out, would it? :rolleyes:

Oracle

Your comment raises interesting questions about this lecture and it's subject matter ....

....the lecture series recognises that LGBT people tend to have a higher incidence of mental health issues such as depression, drug addiction and so on .....

Where is the evidence to support this claim?

.... they are simply trying to highlight this and suggest treatment/ approaches that can be tailored for problems that while not unique to the LGB community, require a special approach when present in the same.

Why are they highlighting that lesbians and gays have more mental disorders?
What are these tailored treatments and approaches and why are they needed?
Why would lesbian and gays require a "special approach" to their mental disorders?

These ideas are both patronising and paternalistic. The medicalisation of the psychological signs of discrimination and prejudice encourage viewing homosexuality as a medical problem. This is the thin end of the wedge towards categorising homosexuality once again as a mental disorder.

That's the way homosexuality was considered by psychiatry prior to 1974, when it was listed as a mental disorder in the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.) This categorisation lead to the abusive treatment of many lesbians and gays by psychiatrists and the mental health system.

LookingFor

No one is saying homosexuality is in and of itself a mental health issue or a mental disorder. I don't think that's the suggestion of the lecture at all!

But quite clearly a context within which gay people often live - the feeling of general non acceptance, or bullying perhaps growing up, of rejection by peers and so forth - can create an environment ripe for things like anxiety and depression to form as a natural response in the individual.

The sexuality itself is not the issue, but the societal context can present challenges to one's self esteem and so forth. In recognising that homosexuality is not a disorder, it would be irresponsible to suggest there are no problems or challenges faced by gay people due to their social environment (which is, ultimately, the problem..again, NOT the sexuality itself).

I don't think treatment needs to be 'tailored' to gay people any more than mental health treatment already needs to be tailored at an individual level. There may be some common 'patterns' that show up among certain broad types of people - gay people among them - but all treatment ultimately has to be personal and tailored to the individual. But there may be some typical underlying patterns or contexts present among gay people (just as there may be among people who have had accidents and who require therapy, for example), which when extracted and explained might help medical professionals in dealing with specific cases they come across. Looking for general patterns in any particular group and finding correlations and relationships between x and y is a common strategy for medical professionals in applying experience learned.