Analyzing Health Risks: Depression and Suicide in the LGBT Population

This report examines the health risks faced by the LGBT community, with a specific focus on the prevalence of depression and its correlation with suicide rates. It highlights that LGBT individuals, particularly gay men, are disproportionately affected by depression due to factors such as social stigma, discrimination, relationship issues, and lack of acceptance. The report identifies various health determinants, including healthcare disparities, sexually transmitted diseases, and mental health challenges exacerbated by social isolation and legal discrimination. Furthermore, it addresses the issue of unvalidated grief experienced by LGBT individuals when mourning losses, contributing to mental health issues. The report suggests treatments and support mechanisms, such as fostering acceptance within families and communities, providing LGBT-inclusive healthcare, and promoting positive coping strategies to mitigate stress and enhance emotional well-being. It also acknowledges the resistance encountered in implementing interventions and emphasizes the need for healthcare professionals to develop cultural competence and a deeper understanding of the LGBT experience to provide effective and affirmative care. Desklib provides a platform to explore similar solved assignments and resources.

Groups likely to be at risk
From the LGBT group, Gay men are a subgroup that is more vulnerable to stress and
suicide. The existence of depression among gay is three times higher than the adult
population. They are also at high risk of suicide because depression is a major factor
responsible for the suicide (Cian & Law, 2019). This may also result in increasing gay
men's risk of overusing drugs, alcohol, unprotected intercourse and HIV Aids.
Relationship issues, homophobia experience, accepting homosexuality, discrimination
at institution or workplace and alienation with the gay community are some major
issues that can result in depression and suicidal issues in gay men (Coffman et al. 2016).
Social determinant
• Legal discrimination while employment, health
insurance, marriage, housing, retirement
benefits and adoption.
• Lack of laws protecting them from
discrimination (Cornelius & Whitaker-Brown,
2017)
• Lack of social programs necessary for LGBT
youths, adults and elders
• Lack of health care knowledge among providers
who are culturally competent
Physical determinant
• Safe housing, neighborhood
and schools
• Recreational facilities
(Keuroghlian et al. 2017)
• Safe meeting places
• Health services
Health determinants
• Health care disparities
• Sexually transmitted
diseases
• Cancers
• Cardiovascular diseases
• Obesity
• Rejection
• Isolation
• anxiety
Treatment and support
• Removing the adverse effect of stress and tension
• Creating awareness, regulating and accepting their
emotions
• Making effective communication
• Restructuring minority stress tendency
• Developing some unique strengths
• Creating relationships and communities
• Accessing good and healthy expressions of gender
and sexuality
Validating grief
When LGBT people lost their loved ones they do not get the
same support as non-LGBT people get. Due to this social
discrimination, LGBT people do not acknowledge or mourn
publicly. This results in a feeling of grief in them. They suffer
from mental illness and thus try to attempt suicide. This is one
of the major factors responsible for the suicide (Leslie et al.
2017). To remove this issue, supporters must try to validate a
patient's grief even if they are not able to understand their
situation.
Resistance met in the implementation of activity
Health centers can make the life of LGBT people better by providing them with societal support and creating programs and resources for
self-acceptance (Whitehead et al. 2016). But they also met with some resistances while implementing the interventions. It needs to have
more focus on their strengths to know and recognize the positive aspects of LGBT experience about life. It requires lots of training and
practice to develop a theoretical and empirical based understanding of LGBT strengths. It needs a high potential to understand the
difference between sexual orientation and gender identity. All professionals must increase their awareness and knowledge about LGBT
individuals and high skills to provide positive adaptation to their life. They need to develop positive psychology, deep understanding and
experience of LGBT individuals to understand them better. They must focus on positive psychology principles to deal with the life of Lesbian,
Gat, Bisexual and Transgender people.
LGBT people face health care risks due to lack
of knowledge, ignorance, homophobic etc. one
of the health issue relevant to this group
includes depression and as a result suicide.
About forty per cent of LGBT youth has tried to
suicide or contemplated suicide according to
research (Carabez et al. 2015). Gay men are 6
times while lesbians are two twice as likely to
attempt suicide.
The main reason behind there suicide is
depression. Many times they face social
segregation, discrimination at working place,
loss of family and friends (Cahill et al. 2016). All
this result in depression and hence, use drugs,
engage in sexual activity, use tobacco, cocaine
and smoke marijuana etc. many youths leave
their homes due to stress in the family
environment.
Depression in LGBT
community (1)
Treatment and support
• Acceptance by parents, family, friends, siblings,
children etc.
• Having a supportive society and social network
which comprises of friends and partners especially
those who are not biologically related (Blumenfeld
et al. 2016).
• Freedom of using LGBT inclusive mental and
medical health.

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