APA Blogs
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Among LGBTQ+ Adults, Mental Health Improves with Age
Many years of research have identified health and mental health disparities among LGBTQ+ individuals, showing they experience higher rates of mental health problems compared to the heterosexual, cisgender population. A recent APA national poll found that LGBTQ+ adults are more likely than adults overall to be anxious about a number of current issues, including gun violence, climate change and the future of reproductive rights. They are twice as likely (62% vs 31%) to be anxious about the future of LGBTQ+ rights.
“CURED” Documentary: What It’s Like to Participate in a Chronicle of Psychiatry’s Past
- By Saul Levin, M.D., M.P.A., FRCP-E, FRCPsych
At the 1972 APA Annual Meeting, in Dallas, Texas, a psychiatrist identified only as “Dr. H. Anonymous,” who had been stigmatized and lost his job because of his sexual orientation, offered a masked protest during a session devoted to psychiatry’s relationship with homosexuality. Joined on the panel (chaired by Judd Marmor, M.D.) by the organizer/activists Barbara Gittings and Frank Kameny, the psychiatrist was later revealed to be Dr. John Fryer. This event that was a watershed moment both for psychiatry and the LGBTQ community, and eventually led to the removal of homosexuality from the DSM in 1973.
LGBTQ Youth Face Mental Health Challenges: Social Support and Safe Spaces Make a Difference
More than four in 10 LGBTQ youth seriously considered suicide in the past year, according to The Trevor Project’s third annual survey out last May. Meanwhile, nearly half (46%) of LGBTQ youth reported wanting psychological or emotional counseling from a mental health professional but were unable to receive it in.
The ‘Q’ in LGBTQ: Queer/Questioning
Most people are familiar with the term LGBT—lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. The acronym increasingly includes the letter Q, LGBTQ, referring to queer and/or questioning individuals. The terms queer and questioning are important because they encompass a larger number of individuals who identify as having same-sex attraction and behaviors.
What APA is Doing for You: Diversity and Health Equity Resources
- By Saul Levin, M.D., M.P.A., FRCP-E, FRCPsych
Diversity is one of the main pillars of APA’s mission and values, both in terms of making sure our profession is diverse and inclusive of a wide range of voices and viewpoints, and in addressing the issues that cause disparities in care for our minority and underserved patients. July is Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, and with that in mind I wanted to take a moment to highlight some of the ways that APA is working to ensure our members help address these care disparities through cultural competency training.