Mental health

By Chris Gildersleeve, PACE

Although society is becoming less prejudiced and things are changing for the better, most lesbians, gay men and bisexuals have experienced a range of difficulties in our lives, which can contribute to mental health problems.

Most of us have experienced at least some of the following:

Hostility and/or rejection from family, parents, and friends
Bullying and name calling at school
Rejection by most mainstream religions
Danger of violence in public places
Harassment from neighbours and other tenants
Casual homophobic comments on an every day basis
Prejudice and embarrassed response from professionals like GPs
No protection against discrimination at work, or in housing, pensions etc
Negative image in the media (especially tabloid press)

Possible effects of homophobia on mental health

Difficulty in accepting your sexual orientation - conflicts, denial, alcohol abuse, isolation
Trying to keep it secret - lying, pretending, leading a double life
Low self esteem
Increased risk of self harm and suicide attempts
Damaged relationships with families, lack of support from families
Post-traumatic stress disorder and depression from long term effects of bullying

People interviewed for PACE's 1997 research definitely felt that their mental health had been affected by homophobia

Access to services

Many lgb people experience difficulty accessing mainstream mental health services, for example:

Mainstream mental health services are not always lesbian and gay friendly
Some staff have judgmental attitudes about lgb sexuality
Staff may not be well informed about specialist lesbian and gay services
Staff may discriminate against lgbt partners in favour of birth family
People who are Black or Asian as well as lgb may receive less favourable treatment than white people

For organisations working on mental health please use our What's in my Area database.