Supporting LGBT Lives? Complicating the suicide consensus in LGBT mental health research

Sexualities ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 65-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Audrey Bryan ◽  
Paula Mayock
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Mental Health Research ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
Sexuality And Gender ◽  
Self Harm ◽  
Lgbt People ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Health And Well Being

This article locates itself within an emergent, counter-discursive body of scholarship that is critical of universalizing depictions portraying queer-identified or LGBT youth as vulnerable and ‘at-risk’ of a range of negative mental health outcomes, including self-harm and suicidality. Drawing on key findings from a large-scale, mixed-methods study exploring the mental health and well-being of LGBT people, we seek to contribute to the development of a more expansive understanding of LGBT lives by demonstrating the diverse ways people engage with their sexuality and gender identity and illuminating the complex meanings that those LGBT people who have experienced psychological and suicidal distress ascribe to their feelings, thoughts and actions.

scholarly journals Black women and COVID-19: The need for targeted mental health research and practice

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 247-255
Author(s):  
Quenette L Walton ◽  
Rosalyn Denise Campbell ◽  
Joan M Blakey
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Black Women ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Mental Health Research ◽  
Women’S Mental Health ◽  
Frontline Workers ◽  
Women's Mental Health ◽  
Personal Experiences ◽  
Health And Well Being

COVID-19 has significantly impacted a substantial number of Black Americans. Black women, in particular, are facing challenges financially, physically, and mentally during this unprecedented time. Between serving as frontline workers, being concerned about contracting the virus, contributing to their families financially, and worrying about their loved ones’ health, Black women are experiencing great strain on their mental health and well-being. These stressors illustrate the need for social work researchers and practitioners to address Black women’s mental health. This paper presents our reflections, experiences, and response to COVID-19 as Black women and scholars. Guided by our reflections and personal experiences, we put forth suggestions and reflexive thoughts for social work researchers and practitioners to prioritize Black women’s mental health during and after these unprecedented times.

scholarly journals Tourist Mental Health Drives Destination Choice, Marketing, and Matching

2021 ◽  
pp. 004728752110115
Author(s):  
Mary-Ann Cooper ◽  
Ralf Buckley
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Destination Choice ◽  
Destination Marketing ◽  
Health Maintenance ◽  
Nature Tourism ◽  
Tourism Destinations ◽  
Tourism Enterprises ◽  
Health And Well Being

Leisure tourism, including destination choice, can be viewed as an investment in mental health maintenance. Destination marketing measures can thus be analyzed as mental health investment prospectuses, aiming to match tourist desires. A mental health framework is particularly relevant for parks and nature tourism destinations, since the benefits of nature for mental health are strongly established. We test it for one globally iconic destination, using a large-scale qualitative approach, both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Tourists’ perceptions and choices contain strong mental health and well-being components, derived largely from autonomous information sources, and differing depending on origins. Parks agencies emphasize factual cognitive aspects, but tourism enterprises and destination marketing organizations use affective approaches appealing to tourists’ mental health.

scholarly journals Sexual and Gender Minority Stress Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: Implications for LGBTQ Young Persons’ Mental Health and Well-Being

2020 ◽  
Vol 135 (6) ◽  
pp. 721-727
Author(s):  
John P. Salerno ◽  
Jackson Devadas ◽  
M Pease ◽  
Bryanna Nketia ◽  
Jessica N. Fish
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Minority Stress ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Gender Minority ◽  
Sexual And Gender Minority ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Health And Well Being

scholarly journals The Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Well-Being

2000 ◽  
Vol 177 (4) ◽  
pp. 325-330 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ailsa Korten ◽  
Scott Henderson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Psychological Symptoms ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Composite International Diagnostic Interview ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Diagnostic Interview ◽  
Australian Population ◽  
Socio Economic Variables ◽  
Health And Well Being

BackgroundThe mental health of populations can be represented by case prevalence rates and by symptom scales. Scales have the advantage of identifying sub-syndromal levels of distress, which may be common and associated with considerable disability.AimsTo examine the distribution of common psychological symptoms and associated disablement in the Australian population.MethodA household sample of 10 641 individuals representative of the adult population of Australia was interviewed using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview and completed scales measuring recent symptoms and disablement.ResultsSymptom scales showed similar associations with socio-economic variables as did diagnoses, although only a small amount of variance in symptom levels was explained by these variables. Considerable disablement was associated with symptom levels indicating distress but not reaching levels for formal diagnoses of anxiety or depression.ConclusionsSymptom scales provide parsimonious measures of psychological distress and are appropriate for use in large-scale surveys of mental health and disablement.

scholarly journals The nature buffer: the missing link in climate change and mental health research

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naseem Dillman-Hasso
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Research ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Mental Health Research ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Mental Health Benefits ◽  
C 32 ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Impacts Of Climate Change

AbstractThe connections between climate change and mental health are well known (Berry et al., Int J Publ Health 55(2):123–132, 2010; Clayton and Manning 2018; Kim et al., J Environ Sci Health C 32(3):299–318, 2014). Research also points to the positive impacts of nature on mental health, well-being, and attention (Capaldi et al., Int J Wellbeing 5(4):1–16, 2015; Kaplan and Kaplan 1989; Tillmann et al., J Epidemiol Community Health 72(10):958–966, 2018). However, no empirical research has examined how degradation of nature as a result of climate change can impact the mental health benefits that nature provides. This paper first reviews the existing research on the negative mental health consequences of climate change and the benefits of nature exposure for stress, mental health, and well-being. The connection between these two lines of research is examined in order to fully understand the impacts of climate change on mental health. Suggestions for future research are included.

scholarly journals Religious Conversion Practices and LGBTQA + Youth

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiffany Jones ◽  
Jennifer Powers ◽  
Adam Hill Rollander ◽  
Nathan Despott ◽  
Marina Carman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Group Work ◽  
Religious Conversion ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Household Level ◽  
Self Harm ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Level 2 ◽  
Gender Change

Abstract Introduction Multiple jurisdictions are debating responses to United Nations calls for banning attempts at conversion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and asexual (LGBTQA +) peoples’ identities to fit religious norms. This paper aimed to examine Australian LGBTQA + youths’ experiences and outcomes of religious conversion practices attempting to change or suppress their gender or sexuality. It explored how attending conversion practices related to demographic characteristics and outcomes. Methods A 2019 online health and social well-being survey promoted via diverse social media questioned 6412 LGBTQA + Australians aged 14–21 years on their experiences of sexuality or gender change or suppression practices. Descriptive and inferential analyses were performed to understand relationships between exposure to conversion practices and demographic, socio-behavioural, and health and well-being measures. Results Whilst most participants had never attended counselling, group work, programs or interventions aimed at changing their sexuality or gender identity, 4% had attended such conversion practices. Analyses showed associations between engaging with conversion practices and (1) specific demographics (being cisgender male, multi-gender-attracted, unemployed, affiliated to a religion at the personal or household level); (2) social experiences (increased exposure to social rejection, negative remarks and harassment); (3) socio-behavioural outcomes (decreased education, sport and housing opportunities) and (4) negative health and mental health outcomes (including increased suicidality and self-harm). Conclusions The paper showed that conversion practices are correlated with poor well-being outcomes, providing arguments for expanding inclusive health and mental health services allowing for affirming religious and non-religious identities for LGBTQA + youth. Policy Implications The paper provides evidence supporting bans on conversion practices.

scholarly journals Women Mental Health and Well-being: A New Paradigm

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mrs. Ashwini. R ◽  
Dr. Vijay Prasad. B
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Well Being ◽  
New Paradigm ◽  
The Family ◽  
Stigma Of Mental Illness ◽  
Gender Perspectives ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Health And Well Being

This paper reviews literature on the determinants of women’s mental health through a stigma of mental illness and gender perspectives. This approach stresses that women’s particular health needs have been neglected in a male-centred models of health, and argues for the importance of addressing these needs in a way that views women and their lives holistically. A woman in social context is seen as parents and their roles have been demonstrated from their life within the family and society as well. This article draws attention to the women and physical health instead of looking at mental illness alone. The impact of violence against women, in particular, the effects of childhood sexual abuse, domestic violence and rape has been illustrated in western and Indian perspectives. In recommendations initiatives in mental health services especially, for women mental health has been emphasized broadly.

scholarly journals Development of a Mobile Phone App to Support Self-Monitoring of Emotional Well-Being: A Mental Health Digital Innovation

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. e49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikki Rickard ◽  
Hussain-Abdulah Arjmand ◽  
David Bakker ◽  
Elizabeth Seabrook
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Mental Health Research ◽  
Primary Component ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Mobile Phone Technology ◽  
Health Apps ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Health And Well Being

BackgroundEmotional well-being is a primary component of mental health and well-being. Monitoring changes in emotional state daily over extended periods is, however, difficult using traditional methodologies. Providing mental health support is also challenging when approximately only 1 in 2 people with mental health issues seek professional help. Mobile phone technology offers a sustainable means of enhancing self-management of emotional well-being.ObjectiveThis paper aims to describe the development of a mobile phone tool designed to monitor emotional changes in a natural everyday context and in real time.MethodsThis evidence-informed mobile phone app monitors emotional mental health and well-being, and it provides links to mental health organization websites and resources. The app obtains data via self-report psychological questionnaires, experience sampling methodology (ESM), and automated behavioral data collection.ResultsFeedback from 11 individuals (age range 16-52 years; 4 males, 7 females), who tested the app over 30 days, confirmed via survey and focus group methods that the app was functional and usable.ConclusionsRecommendations for future researchers and developers of mental health apps to be used for research are also presented. The methodology described in this paper offers a powerful tool for a range of potential mental health research studies and provides a valuable standard against which development of future mental health apps should be considered.

scholarly journals Life under COVID-19 for LGBT+ people in the UK: systematic review of UK research on the impact of COVID-19 on sexual and gender minority populations

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. e050092
Author(s):  
Victoria J McGowan ◽  
Hayley J Lowther ◽  
Catherine Meads
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Sexual Orientation ◽  
Gender Identity ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Gender Minority ◽  
Sexual And Gender Minority ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Health And Well Being

ObjectiveTo systematically review all published and unpublished evidence on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health and well-being of UK sexual and gender minority (LGBT+; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, intersex and queer) people.MethodsAny relevant studies with or without comparator were included, with outcomes of: COVID-19 incidence, hospitalisation rates, illness severity, death rates, other health and well-being. Six databases (platforms) were searched—CINAHL Plus (Ovid), Cochrane Central (Cochrane Library), Medline (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), Science Citation Index (Web of Science) and Scopus between 2019 and 2020 in December 2020, using synonyms for sexual and gender minorities and COVID-19 search terms. Data extraction and quality assessment (using the relevant Joanna Briggs checklist) were in duplicate with differences resolved through discussion. Results were tabulated and synthesis was through narrative description.ResultsNo published research was found on any outcomes. Eleven grey literature reports found to be of low quality were included, mostly conducted by small LGBT+ charities. Only four had heterosexual/cisgender comparators. Mental health and well-being, health behaviours, safety, social connectedness and access to routine healthcare all showed poorer or worse outcomes than comparators.ConclusionsLack of research gives significant concern, given pre-existing health inequities. Social and structural factors may have contributed to poorer outcomes (mental health, well-being and access to healthcare). Paucity of evidence is driven by lack of routinely collected sexual orientation and gender identity data, possibly resulting from institutional homophobia/transphobia which needs to be addressed. Men are more at risk of serious illness from COVID-19 than women, so using data from trans women and men might have started to answer questions around whether higher rates were due to sex hormone or chromosomal effects. Routine data collection on sexual orientation and gender identity is required to examine the extent to which COVID-19 is widening pre-existing health inequalities.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42020224304.

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