Service Providers

Mental Health Workers:

A recent study published by MIND , identified the following findings:

• Gay men and lesbians reported more psychological distress than heterosexuals
• Gay men and lesbians are more likely to have used recreational drugs
• Lesbians were more likely than heterosexual women to drink excessively
• Lesbians experience more violence and bullying than heterosexual women
• Gay men and lesbians often attribute harassment to their sexuality
• Gay men and lesbians are more likely to have consulted a mental health professional in the past, regardless of current mental state.

Despite this a report published by PACE, a London based gay and lesbian support organisation claimed that that LGB mental health service users can sometimes experience discrimination from within the very system which is supposed to be helping them.

Service users can be very aware of insensitivities on the part of staff, which may be more attributed to lack of awareness or understanding rather than prejudice. Healthy Gay Hampshire is able to offer training which will enable workers to increase their awareness of some of the issues and prejudices which gay and lesbian people may experience on an everyday basis, and the extra pressures which being GLB and a mental health service user can bring. We are also happy to discuss ways of making your service more accessible and visible to gay men and lesbians.