3. How can sexual identity affect
mental health? (a survey)
• Asked our online friends to fill out a survey
• This survey was not limited to only people
who identify with the LGBT community
• We were curious to hear the viewpoints of
those who identify as straight as well
15. + Two Theories of Homosexuality:
Essentialist theories: argue that homosexuality is an
inborn; innate trait, likely due to biological or
developmental processes
Constructionist theories: indicates that homosexuality
develops overtime and is most likely due to social forces.
16. +
Theoretical Bias
Homosexuality was seen as a "borderline condition”
An individual who did not regard it as a problem to be
cured was, "understood to be maintaining a perverse
denial of their pathology”
Disturbance in the mind or in development
18. + There is more to a person than just their sexual
orientation. Homosexuality is not the problem, it‟s
society‟s attitudes towards Homosexuality.
When we do not understand something, we fear it and
judge
Just because you understand it, does not mean it does
not exist!
19. + We need to do something!
Heterosexism: discrimination and prejudice against gays,
lesbians, bisexuals, and transgenders by heterosexual people
E.g., Don‟t Ask Don‟t Tell, Media, Workplace
Disclosure was not considered appropriate
Discrimination and dealing with homophobia can affect a
person's health.
22. + Treating Homosexuality…
Conversion therapy (also known as reparative therapy) is a
range of treatments that aim to change sexual orientation from
homosexual to heterosexual
Aversion therapy is a form of psychological treatment in which
the patient is exposed to a stimulus while simultaneously being
subjected to some form of discomfort. This conditioning is
intended to cause the patient to associate the stimulus with
unpleasant sensations in order to stop the specific behavior
(homosexuality).
Aversion therapy was previously considered as a treatment for
homosexuality, but since 1994, the American Psychological
Association (APA) has declared that it is a dangerous practice
and does not work.
24. +
Religion and Homosexuality
The Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity and
Islam have traditionally forbidden sodomy, believing
and teaching that such behavior is sinful.
26. +
Society and Homosexuality
Antihomosexuality: in the culture forces gay people to
constantly think about „their‟ proper place. (1996, p. 233).
We must recognize the crucial importance of the
experience of self-discovery for someone who senses
that his or her sexual desires are different from those of
peers.
People confuse gender with sexual orientation. It does
not mean you are any less of a man if you are
homosexual and vice versa for Lesbians.
27. +
Society and Homosexuality Continued…
It is tempting to find ourselves thinking about the apparent
„feminity passivity‟ of gay men or the „masculinity‟ of a lesbian.
Stereotypes
28. +
Klein Sexual Orientation Grid
“It is when the categories of “male” and “female” are seen as
absolute when sexuality is more complex than that.
Klein developed a multidimensional grid for describing sexual
orientation.
29. +
The Reclassification of Homosexuality
The American Psychological Association (APA) declassified
homosexuality as a mental illness in 1973
Evelyn Hooker
Demonstrated homosexuality is not psychopathological
Although our society is becoming more open to the complexity
of sexual orientation, we know that depression, suicidal
feelings, and self-harm is considerably higher among members
of the LGBT community than among heterosexuals
(Chakraborty et al., 2011).
This could be due to internalized feelings of homophobic
attitudes that leads to them feeling depressed.
32. Bisexuality is defined as romantic and/or
sexual attraction to both men and women.
• Bisexuality falls under the umbrella term of
“homosexuality”, which used to be considered a mental
illness
• Even though homosexuality is no longer considered a
mental illness, people identifying as such are called a
“sexual minority”
• Any type of minority is subject to experience stigma and
prejudice
33. Numbers
• Bisexual women report significantly higher rates of
depressive symptoms than both lesbian and
heterosexual women
• LGB adolescents are twice as likely to attempt suicide
than their heterosexual counterparts
• LGB students are three and a half times more likely to
self-harm
34. Heteronormativity assumes that all
members of society are attracted to members of the
opposite sex.
• Even today, this is a rarely known concept.
• Heteronormativity places pressure on LGB (Lesbian,
gay, and bisexual) people to conform to society’s norms
• In classrooms, LGB students are often
exposed to heteronormative and even
homophobic ideals, leading to feelings of
isolation and oppression
• These feelings are associated with
depression, anxiety, chronic stress, eating
disorders, and substance abuse
37. Heteronormativity (continued)
• The process of “coming out” (revealing ones sexual
orientation) to the family of someone who is LGB can
be very difficult because often they are inherently
assumed to be straight
• This can lead to significant emotional distress and
mental illness such as depression and anxiety
• It is extremely important
for LGB issues to be talked
about to decrease stigma
38. Problems with Research and
Stigma
• In much of today’s research, all sexualities under the
LGBTQ umbrella are clumped together; this makes it
difficult to access information about specific
orientations.
• Much stigma surrounds the bisexual orientation. Many
people believe that bisexuality does not actually exist,
calling sexuals “confused” “greedy” or “sluts”
42. When Biological Sex is Unclear
• Intersexual: someone who is anatomically
somewhere along the continuum between a
male and female
• Hermaphrodite: individual is born with both
ovarian and testicular tissue or a combination
of an ovary and testicle into one structure =
ovatestes
– Only 350-450 known cases worldwide
45. Transgender
• Transgender: is an umbrella term to describe
people who believe their biologically assigned
gender is a false or incomplete description of
themselves.
• Transsexual: is an individual whose sexual
identity is opposite the one assigned at birth.
46. Transgendered continued…
• Gender reassignment involves transsexual
men and women seeking to transition from
their gender of birth to the opposite gender
permanently
• Transvestites: an individual who acts in the
manner of a person of the opposite gender
– Cross-dressers
– Sexual orientation varies
47. Transgender at 11: Listening to Jazz
• https://www.youtube.com/results?search_qu
ery=transgender
71. What are the reasons for
greater mental health
problems in the LGBT
community?
72. Reasons:
1. Lack of acceptance >> bullying
2. Pain from pre and post “coming out”
3. Same-sex relationships are [on
average] less stable and shorter lived
4. Social pressures – “manly” or
“womanly” duties not fulfilled
5. Inadequate mental health services
75. • Discrimination common among providers and
other clients
• Providers attributed to their sexual orientation
• Have to educate providers about basic sexual
identity and gender issues which is difficult when
already emotionally distressed
• Providers question their identity “If you have
children, how can you be a lesbian?”
76. Suggestions for Improvement by LGBT
Community
• Providers should receive training on how to
ask questions in a respectful way
• Knowing that some staff are openly a part of
the LGBT community
• Offer more groups specific to LGBT persons
78. • Agencies have difficulty serving the needs of
transgender clients
-Not a lot of training on transgender issues
and lack of policy knowledge on how to treat
transgender clients appropriately
• There is a need for coordination of services
within and outside of mental health agencies
• Lack of effectiveness in connecting LGBT
clients to other LGBT individuals and groups
79. • Lack of available resources and professional
training opportunities to specifically address
the mental health needs of LGBT individuals
-Providers have to seek out training
themselves since it is not a part of standard
training programs
80. Suggestions for Improvement by
Providers
• LGBT clients would feel more comfortable or
welcomed at agencies that have openly LGBT
staff members
81. • Providers suggest making LGBT mental health
a priority in training programs and be included
in education curricula at a level to reach all
mental health professional
• 3500 medical students across North America
were surveyed in which 36% stated LGBT
curricula's at their schools were fair and 34%
rated it poor or very poor
82. • Instructions should be provided on the
distinctions between sexual orientation,
sexual behavior and gender identity as well as
how to ask about each one
• All providers should learn basic terminology
used to describe members of LGBT
communities
83. Conclusion
Members of the LGBT
community are faced with
mental illness more often than
those who identify as straight.
