Highlights of the specific mental health needs among gay and bisexual men.
Contents:
- DEPRSN IS KILLG GAY MEN
- THE GAY BOWEL SYNDROME: A MON PROBLEM OF HOMOSEXUAL PATIENTS THE EMERGENCY PARTMENT
- LBIAN, GAY, & BISEXUAL OLR ADULTS: LKG TERNAL MORY STRSORS, CHRONIC HEALTH NDNS, AND PRSN
- MENTAL HEALTH LBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENR (LGBT) YOUTH
- A REVIEW OF MORY STRS AS A RISK FACTOR FOR COGNIVE DECLE LBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENR (LGBT) ELRS
DEPRSN IS KILLG GAY MEN
* chronic depression gay *
The majory of gay and bisexual men have and mata good mental health, even though rearch has shown that they are at greater risk for mental health problems. Like everyone else, the majory of gay and bisexual men are able to pe succsfully if nnected to the right rourc. However, ongog homophobia, stigma (negative and ually unfair beliefs), and discrimatn (unfairly treatg a person or group of people) n have negative effects on your health.
Gay and bisexual men may also face other health threats that ually happen along wh mental health problems.
THE GAY BOWEL SYNDROME: A MON PROBLEM OF HOMOSEXUAL PATIENTS THE EMERGENCY PARTMENT
Gay men experience more prsn and suici, but help is available. * chronic depression gay *
Gay and bisexual men are more likely than other men to have tried to m suici as well as to have succeed at suici. Keepg your sexual orientatn hidn om others (beg “ the closet”) and fear of havg your sexual orientatn disclosed (beg “outed”) n add to the strs of beg gay or bisexual. In general, rearch has shown that gay and bisexual men who are open about their sexual orientatn wh others have better health out than gay and bisexual men who do not.
However, beg “out” some settgs and to people who react negatively n add to the strs experienced by gay and bisexual men, and n lead to poorer mental health and discrimatn. Mental health unselg and support groups that are sensive to the needs of gay and bisexual men n be pecially eful if you are g to terms wh your sexual orientatn or are experiencg prsn, anxiety, or other mental health problems. While many gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex wh men may not seek re om a mental health provir bee of a fear of discrimatn or homophobia, is important to keep this as an optn and to fd a provir that is tstworthy and patible.
It’s well known to the pot of stereotype that gay men experience higher rat of HIV, substance abe, and suici. The 2013 fifth edn of the Amerin Psychiatric Associatn's Diagnostic and Statistil Manual (DSM) f prsn clilly as a prsive mood or loss of tert or pleasure nearly all activi over a two-week perd, along wh four of the symptoms: “chang appete or weight, sleep, and psychomotor activy; creased energy; feelgs of worthlsns or guilt; difficulty thkg, ncentratg, or makg cisns; or recurrent thoughts of ath or suicidal iatn or suici plans or attempts.
LBIAN, GAY, & BISEXUAL OLR ADULTS: LKG TERNAL MORY STRSORS, CHRONIC HEALTH NDNS, AND PRSN
Sexually transmted bowel and rectal diseas are mon gay men and are ed by a wi variety of fect agents. Each of the enti implited the gay bowel syndrome is nsired separately and epimlogic nsiratns rponsible for the appearance of such a syndrome are exam … * chronic depression gay *
It’s not surprisg to know that homophobia is a major ntributor—or that homophobia-duced prsn n lead to harmful out. An Amerin study of gay men found that those who perceived creased homophobia and danger were more likely to report prsive symptoms.
Feelg unaccepted and rejected by the gay muny—as do too many gay and bisexual men of lor and those livg wh HIV—were also found to crease the risk for prsn. A Brish survey of gay men found that 50 percent of those who experienced prsn had ntemplated suici; 24 percent had already attempted to take their own liv. Black gay and bisexual men were twice as likely to be prsed and five tim more likely to have attempted suici than their whe unterparts.
MENTAL HEALTH LBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENR (LGBT) YOUTH
People who intify as sexual (i.e., lbian, gay, bisexual, queer) or genr (i.e., transgenr, genrqueer, non-bary) mori have siar symptoms of anxiety and prsn as heterosexual and cisgenr (non-transgenr) dividuals. * chronic depression gay *
As a Canadian study showed, suici among HIV-posive gay and bisexual men has been associated wh a recent experience of HIV stigma such as rejectn, harassment, and physil vlence.
Of urse the ial solutn to crease gay men’s prsn—and s nsequenc for our health—is to foster acceptance and support om fai and the broar society.
A REVIEW OF MORY STRS AS A RISK FACTOR FOR COGNIVE DECLE LBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENR (LGBT) ELRS
Health re provirs workg wh gay men should first tablish rapport and tst by displayg empathy and not makg assumptns about an dividual’s behavr and sexual choic based on generalizatns about “all” gay men. The good news for gay men—anyone, really—experiencg prsn is that antiprsant meditn n help pe wh prsn, whether they have HIV or not. Speakg openly and ankly about the disproportnate impact of prsn on gay men, and prrizg our mental health and well-beg, we n chase that big gray elephant out of the room—and keep om harmg any more of .
If you’re lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr, or queer(LGBTQ) or are explorg your sexual orientatn or genr inty, and you stggle wh anxiety or prsn, let’s start by puttg thgs to ntext. Somewhere between 30 and 60 percent of lbians, gay men, bisexuals, or transgenr people al wh anxiety and prsn at some pot their liv. Beg highly attuned to ntext as a lbian, gay man, bisexual, or transgenr person shap your ner world, too.
Copg wh mory strs do not tell the whole story, though, the liv of lbians, gay men, bisexuals, or transgenr dividuals. All of , whether gay, straight, cisgenr, or not — or somewhere between — are more than a nstellatn of the difficulti that we’ve had to face.