Disparites in Mental Health Treatment among GLBT Populations – NAMI Report

Disparites in Mental Health Treatment among GLBT Populations Report

(2007) Ph.D., MPH, Bostwick, Wendy B.; National Alliance on Mental Ilness June Report

A 2005 study* found that only 58% of psychologists supported a gay-affirmative stance in therapy, compared to only 5% in 1991.

This report provides an insight of GLBT disparites in mental health services and in research It alarmingly brings attention to psychologists’ GLBT affirmative stance in therapay pre and post the American Psychiatric Association’s removal of homosexuality from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or the DSM. Despite the inroads in the past 35 years, there are significant treatment and reserach issues that need to be addressed by the profession. Issues & constructs that enable barriers to effectively and appropriately care for GLBT people – most especially the most vulnerable among them.

RECOMMENDATIONS:. Dr. Bostwick reports one key way to address these disparities is through GLBT cultural competency trainings for all persons working in the mental health professions. Cultural competence involves the individual and his or her attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs as well as the institution and its behaviors and policies. Individual cultural competence means that one can communicate effectively with people who are different. At the institutional level, it means that an agency is consciously set up to meet the needs of people from different cultures. It is only through education that we can begin to dismantle the barriers to care that many GLBT persons still confront.

NAMI REPORT JUNE 2007 – Dr. Wendy Bostwick, MPH, Ph.D (CLICK LEFT for FULL REPORT)

* (Kilgore, H., Amin, K., Baca, L., Sideman, L., Bohanske, B. (2005). Psychologists’ attitudes and therapeutic approaches to gay, lesbian, and bisex- ual issues continue to improve: An update. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 42, 395-400.)

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