scholarly journals The Global State of Conversion Therapy - A Preliminary Report and Current Evidence Brief

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tyler Michael Adamson ◽  
Sara Wallach ◽  
Alex Garner ◽  
Marguerite Hanley ◽  
Sean Howell

The term “conversion therapy” is most widely used to describe practices attempting to change, suppress, or divert one’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. Such practices are also called: reorientation therapy, reparative therapy, sexual orientation change efforts, ex-gay/ex-trans therapy, gay cure therapy, or more recently, support for unwanted same-sex attraction or transgender identities. To discover global prevalence of both conversion therapy and various methods of practicing attempted therapy a survey was distributed online. The survey was developed by combining existing measurement tools with newly designed questions to gauge experiences with conversion therapy. The survey consisted of a series of 44 questions covering a range of topics, including personal experience with conversion therapy, types of therapy experienced, long-term impacts, mental health, human rights, faith, and others. The survey was provided in several languages, including English, Arabic, Traditional and Simplified Chinese, and others. Any Hornet user was able to voluntarily participate in the survey. 8092 individuals from over 100 countries participated in the survey, ranging in age from under 18 to 85+. 8092 individuals from over 100 countries participated in the survey, ranging in age from under 18 to 85+. Of the 5820 individuals who responded to the question “Does conversion therapy happen in your country?”, 1851 participants responded “yes,” that they were aware conversion therapy occurs in the country where they live, and 1227 (21.08%) and 1263 (21.70%) responding that they were unsure or maybe, respectively. 1627 (20.09%) of respondents indicated that either they or someone they know (family member, friend, etc.) have been in conversion therapy. The majority of practitioners who led conversion therapy were mental health providers, followed by religious authorities or their associates. These findings with a large global sample reveal that the practice of conversion therapy continues to be utilized around the world despite broad consensus on its harmful effects and lack of scientific justification.

2014 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 113-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arcangelo S. Cella

Throughout the history of the mental health profession, many psychotherapists have asserted that homosexuality is a mental condition or defect that may be corrected through treatment. Homosexuality was not officially declassified as a mental illness until 1973, and it was not until recently that mainstream mental health organizations renounced the claim that therapy can alter sexual orientation. Sexual orientation change efforts (SOCE) involve various types of psychotherapy, from the familiar and seemingly benign talk therapy to forms of behavioral therapy that include “masturbatory reconditioning, rest, visits to prostitutes[,] excessive bicycle riding,” and even physical abuse. SOCE are now widely regarded by mainstream mental health practitioners as unscientific, ineffective, and mentally and emotionally harmful. Nevertheless, due to persistent societal disapproval of homosexuality, some mental health providers continue to engage in SOCE, often causing their patients to experience shame and anxiety well into adulthood.


2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jill Calderon ◽  
Paul E. Hagan ◽  
Jennifer A. Munch ◽  
Crystal Rofkahr ◽  
Sinead Unsworth ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Elizabeth Weiskittle ◽  
Michelle Mlinac ◽  
LICSW Nicole Downing

Social distancing measures following the outbreak of COVID-19 have led to a rapid shift to virtual and telephone care. Social workers and mental health providers in VA home-based primary care (HBPC) teams face challenges providing psychosocial support to their homebound, medically complex, socially isolated patient population who are high risk for poor health outcomes related to COVID-19. We developed and disseminated an 8-week telephone or virtual group intervention for front-line HBPC social workers and mental health providers to use with socially isolated, medically complex older adults. The intervention draws on skills from evidence-based psychotherapies for older adults including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, and Problem-Solving Therapy. The manual was disseminated to VA HBPC clinicians and geriatrics providers across the United States in March 2020 for expeditious implementation. Eighteen HBPC teams and three VA Primary Care teams reported immediate delivery of a local virtual or telephone group using the manual. In this paper we describe the manual’s development and clinical recommendations for its application across geriatric care settings. Future evaluation will identify ways to meet longer-term social isolation and evolving mental health needs for this patient population as the pandemic continues.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrienne Lapidos

UNSTRUCTURED With the advent of COVID-19, psychiatry video visits have become commonplace practically overnight. Patients and mental health providers are now presented with new opportunities and risks with respect to self-disclosure. In this Viewpoint, a clinical psychologist grapples with the new self-disclosure landscape as she and a patient both connect to therapy from their homes. The piece explores how various theoretical orientations in psychotherapy have addressed self-disclosure historically, and how video visit technologies have changed the boundaries of what can be shared.


2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdulmajeed A. Alkhamees ◽  
Hatem Assiri ◽  
Hatim Yousef Alharbi ◽  
Abdullah Nasser ◽  
Mohammad A. Alkhamees

AbstractVery few studies have been concerned with assessing the prevalence of burnout and depressive symptoms, especially during an infectious outbreak on non-frontline health care workers, such as a psychiatrist. In such instances, the role of psychiatrists and other mental health providers as a source of psychological support to the public and frontline workers is indispensable and valuable. This study aims to assess the prevalence of burnout and depressive symptoms, and their correlation, during the COVID-19 pandemic among psychiatry residents in Saudi Arabia. A total of 121 out of 150 psychiatry residents in Saudi Arabia completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory and Patient’s Health Questionnaire for the assessment of burnout and depressive symptoms. Burnout symptoms were found in 27.3%, and another 27.3% reported having depression symptoms. In addition, 16.5% reported having both burnout and depressive symptoms, with a significant relationship between them. Participants in the first 2 years of training and having a history of receiving mental health treatment in the past 2 years were at higher risk. The need is urgent to increase investment in mental health services and to construct a plan to reduce this risk of burnout and depression among psychiatrists by developing preventative strategies to prevent burnout and promote wellness is more important than ever.


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