It's Time To Address LGBTQ Youth Mental Health
Every person ever born has a gender identity and a sexual orientation. The orientation is a person's inclination to be physically or romantically drawn. The identity of the gender is the internal sense of being either a part of a gender or not. This is different from the biological gender that one is born with. Individuals who have another sexual identity or orientation from most individuals are under the bracket term LGBTQ. It is vital to ascertain that LGBTQ is not a disorder or a mental illness. Although it is not a health or mental illness, several people in the community have struggles related to mental health. The transgender and bisexual communities have the largest rates of concerns related to mental health within the community. The younger individuals of the community struggle a lot with concerns related to mental health covering all ages. The LGBTQ youth's mental health is also a major part of that.
Most people in the community are very sturdy and manage to thrive and live in the face of significant adversity. They do this with the assistance of supportive peers, communities, and families. Another study has found that LGBTQ individuals utilized mental health services at more than double their straight counterparts' rates. But they are also at some risk of experiencing traumatic and adverse events, discrimination, fear, and shame. There are also many individuals who see themselves as a part of a minority within this community. This is because they belong to other marginalized communities in society. These groups are either people of color, indigenous, or Black. These also include people who have a physical disability, individuals who have a different religion than the majority, and those low on the socio-economic ladder. These individuals have complicated experiences that cannot be solved easily in a sphere of their lives.
There are also several negative stereotypes about being a member of the community. This makes many people hide this highly crucial part of their identity. When some individuals go on and express this aspect of their lives, there is a chance that they may face rejection from friends, colleagues, and peers, which can increase their feelings of loneliness.
LGBTQ Youth Mental Health is Affected by Bullying
Bullying is a major factor that puts great strain on the LGBTQ youth mental health. There is some fear of rejection from close friends and family. There are frequent messages against the community heard in the media and places of worship. There is also great stress associated with keeping a hidden identity that can cause problems in society. These have led to a lot of issues related to LGBTQ youth mental health. Research shows that there is some connection between the mental health of a person from this community and the anti-LGBTQ messages raised in the community. Studies have shown a major connection between the acceptance or rejection of a youth from the community by their family and that individual's long-term physical and mental health. The youth from the community are more likely than their counterparts who are not from their community to experience substance abuse, suicidal thoughts, and depression.
Research shows that lesbian and gay youths are a lot more likely than heterosexual people to try to attempt suicide. Another survey has shown that nearly half of the gender-nonconforming and transgender people in the country have said that they have tried to attempt suicide in their lives at one point in time. The general population lies only around a couple of percentage points in this regard.
LGBTQ Youth Mental Health Services Are Absent
Any discussion on the difficulties seen by the youth of this community in getting good mental health services was mostly absent from the current national discussion over reforms in the health care sector. The passing of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was a vital win for the progressives. But there are not a lot of people who have completely understood the potential of the law to give assistance to LGBTQ youth mental health. It can give a lot of relief to the youths that have not found the right treatment for their mental health issues.
Conclusion
There is a lot of work that still requires to be done regarding LGBTQ youth mental health. Many youths from the community face substance abuse, anxiety, and depression. The lawmakers should try to increase the efficacy of the primary care and the related services in a manner that helps to improve the LGBTQ youth mental health in the near term.
