Dr. A
Member
Understanding the Unique Mental Health Challenges of LGBTQ+ Individuals
- Mental health, though a rather common health issue, still remains the one with many challenges. The culprits that hinder the appropriate medical solution to this problem are societal stigma and discrimination. A lot of sufferers shy away from acknowledging, accepting, seeking professional help, or even confiding in family and peers due to the fear of being stigmatized, rejected, and segregated.
- Compared to the general population, the LGBTQ+ individuals are more prone to experience various types of mental health issues such as depression and generalized anxiety disorder due to their gender identity and sexual orientation struggles. Moreover, the fact that directing societal negative attitudes towards oneself, that is, internalized homophobia or transphobia, makes the matter worse. This brings about further low self-esteem, self-unworthiness and depressive status.
- Research has shown time and again that the LGBTQ+ community is many morefold prone to mental health challenges such as anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation than their heterosexual or cisgender counterparts.
Impact of discrimination, bullying and rejection.
- Many cultures, as well as individuals, still see anything that is not cisgender or heterosexual as a disorder that has no place in their lives. For this reason, LGBTQ+ individuals struggle to come out openly for the fear of being socially ostracized, rejected by family, peers, and coworkers.
- About 75% of LGBTQ+ youths face stress and anxiety due to threats of violence and hate crimes.
- Intersectionality is a multifaceted aspect of a person that includes gender, socioeconomic status, race, and ethnicity, to name a few, which may together or independently affect the mental health status of a person. It may either have a positive, negative, or mixed impact on an individual depending on how the society as a mirror reflects it.
Barriers to accessing mental health support.
One of the most common hurdles that many LGBTQ+, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color), and other minor communities face while seeking mental health care is the lack of culturally competent health care providers. Every individual needs a personalized treatment plan with a touch of their own culture, behavior, and unique beliefs taken into account. Cultural humility builds trust and empathy, which subsequently leads to adherence to the treatment plan and successful therapy.
- A fairly large proportion of the LGBTQ+ population have reported that they avoid seeking mental health care services due to the fear of discrimination or stigma from within the healthcare system. Being judged and mocked off for who they are leads to further lowering of self-worth and deepening depression.
- Poor economic status and geographical barriers are also some of the reasons for the inability to access inclusive mental health care in some cases. Mental health care is not a one-time doctor visit and requires multiple follow-up sessions, each costing a monetary value that not all may be able to afford. The fact that such health set-ups may also not be situated at every corner and nook of an area may further increase the economic burden on already poor people and hence avoiding such set-ups seems an easy option, out.
Since nonbinary and transgender youth are at a higher risk of mental health ills and suicidal risk, there is an increased need for community support in all spaces of their life. After all, every human being needs mental peace in order to lead a healthy life and LGBTQ+ individuals are no different, they too have a right to have LGBTQ+ affirming spaces.
- The role of therapy, peer support groups, community advocacy and representation cannot be overemphasized. There is increased need for the acceptance of such individuals as they too are part of the community that we live in. Although many of the developed countries have established a lot of help lines and services dedicated to the recognition and addressing the LGBTQ+ society, there is still a huge void that needs to be filled especially in countries that are still developing.
- Many countries, example, the United States have set up inclusive policies and education for LGBTQ+ communities so that they have equal opportunities in all spheres of their growing up, more acceptance by others, lesser bullying, harassment, violence and suicidal ideation. There are programs aimed at including not only the LGBTQ+ individuals but also their parents so that the environment at home is also conducive. The teachers, care takers and all staff involved are also trained to be more empathetic and take into account the special needs and address fears, insecurities and overall enhance the well-being and growth of such individuals.
