Anxiety, depression and thoughts of suicide more likely for religiously raised LGBT persons
By: Conrad Braxton
Gay men and other persons within the LGBT spectrum are roughly 12 times more likely to suffer from a mental health issue, including anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation and thoughts of self-harm, according to a newly released study.
The findings come to us from the Oasis Foundation; a same sex affirming spiritual organization in the UK that promotes diversity in faith.
The research seems to confirm what many within the LGBTQ community already knew; a direct relationship between mental health, self-perceptions and negative religious teachings about gay people from early childhood.
More: Why a gay therapist is a smart move
The research is being released as part of a response to the House of Bishops, which restated the Church of England’s opposition to same-sex marriage and will be discussed at the General Synod meeting next week.
FYI: This study suggests that if a person was raised under an umbrella denomination of Christianity that holds unfavorable views on homosexuality, the statistics are much higher.
“The link between church teaching and poor LGB mental health
The notion that people with sexualities other than heterosexual are at increased risk of poor mental health has been established by a range or surveys and more detailed studies over a number of years.
While a staggering 44% of LGB youth claim to have considered suicide and over half (52%) have self-harmed at some point in the past, other studies have demonstrated that these problems are not restricted to the young.
A large study of 27,000 LGB people concluded that ‘sexual minorities were two to three times more likely to report having a longstanding psychological or emotional problem than their heterosexual counterparts with the figure rising to almost 13% in other surveys.
Health bodies such as the National Health Service work on the basis that homosexual and bisexual people are more vulnerable to mental health issues.
The report goes on to state, however, that there is nothing intrinsic about being homosexual or bisexual that makes people susceptible to poor mental health.”
More: Strength training helps gay men with depression
Government data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that gay and bisexual men are twice more likely to suffer from a serious mental health challenge, including:
- Major depression
- Bipolar disorder
- Generalized anxiety disorder
Additionally, according to CDC:
“Gay and bisexual men may also face other health threats that usually happen along with mental health problems. These include more use of illegal drugs and a greater risk for suicide. Gay and bisexual men are more likely than other men to have tried to commit suicide as well as to have succeeded at suicide.”
h/t: Pink News
—
