LGBT Risk to Mental Disorders

 

It is no doubt that LGBT individuals encounter many steep challenges in their lives. Social stigma, prejudice, discrimination, violence and abuse against LGBT in the mainstream society is the primary challenge they face in their daily life. Furthermore, secondary challenges like rejection of friends and family, being deemed unwelcome by their faith community, bullying and harassment at school and workplace, inequitable legal rights and the risk for harm is enormous (Goldman, 2008). Ryan et al. (2009) report that family and community rejection of LGBT youth, including bullying, can have profound and long-term impacts (e.g., depression, use of illegal drugs, and suicidal behavior).

The removal of homosexuality as mental disorder from DSM II in 1973  did not significantly reduce the stigmazation, prejudice and discrimination towards LGBT, this problem we could probably contribute to the weak public education on LGBT issues. People continue to be homophobic and misunderstand LGBT  as sexually immoral and inappropriate behavior.  

LGBT studies also showed  that LGB people have higher risk, higher prevalence of mental disorders than heterosexual people with the enormous pressures of living in a society that discriminates against them, historical antigay stance and the stigmatization of LGB persons (Bailey, 1999). Some studies suggest that mood, anxiety and substance abuse disorder are likely to be influenced by the effects of oppression and stigma (Dohrenwend, 2000; Markowitz, 1998). Vulnerable and stigmatized groups in general has higher rates of mental illness often result from coping with stigma-related stress. Furthermore, homosexuals and bisexuals are particularly vulnerable to harassment and other forms of risk, further compounding their stress (Mishna et al., 2008). For person who is as both LGBT individual and mental patient, they will be considered  as "the minority within sexual minority" and this "double stigmazation" will further exacerbate his or her mental health condition.

Furthermore, several studies have been published to explain how stigma, prejudice, and discrimination create a hostile and stressful social environment for that causes mental health problems in LGBT group (Meyer, 2003).

You could refer to this link http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmc2072932/ for more details.

In this blog, I will share findings on the prevalence and risk of mental illness in LGBT people and hope that with these findings and sharing, mainstream public could be aware of the serious consequences they have created by imposing social stress, discrimination and prejudice on LGBT individuals.

If we could embrace the diversity in human regardless of their race, ethnicity, sex and country;why couldn't we embrace the diversity of sexuality in human as well?

References

Bailey JM (1999). Homosexuality and Mental Illness. Arch Gen Psychiatry, 56(10): 883-4.

Dohrenwend, B. P. (2000). The role of adversity and stress in psychopathology: Some evidence and its implications for theory and research. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 41(1, 1-19.

Goldman L. (2008). Coming Out, Coming In: Nurturing the Well-being and Inclusion of Gay Youth in Mainstream Society. New York: Routledge.

Markowitz, F. E. (1998). The effects of stigma on the psychological well-being and life satisfaction of persons with mental illness. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 39(4), 335-347.

Meyer, IIan. H (2003) Prejudice, Social Stress, and Mental Health in Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Populations: Conceptual Issues and Research Evidence. Retrieved October 12, 2012 from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmc2072932.

Mishna, F., Newman, P.A., Daley, A. & Solomon, S. (2008). Bullying of lesbian and gay youth: a qualitative investigation. British Journal of Social Work, 39, 1578-1614.

Ryan C, Huebner D, Diaz RM, & Sanchez J. (2009). Family Rejection as a Predictor of Negative Health Outcomes in White and Latino Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Young Adults. Pediatrics, 123, 346–352.