LGBT health concerns need special attention: experts

Posted on January 22, 2015

The LGBT community is facing an increased burden of mental health concerns, including depression, anxiety and substance abuse – but this doesn't mean LGBT people are inherently mentally ill, Warren, director of LGBT Programs and Policies in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at Mount Sinai Health System in New York City said.

Instead, she said, LGBT mental health issues are largely related to the stresses of belonging to a minority group. "We can change that by changing the way the world perceives, treats and includes LGBT people."

Kellan Baker, also speaking at the Thomson Reuters event, said there has been a lot of progress on U.S. policy issues regarding LGBT health.

"We have seen an incredible explosion of initiatives that are inclusive of or focusing on LGBT communities from the federal government over the last five years," said Baker, a senior fellow with the LGBT Research and Communications Project at the Center for American Progress in Washington, D.C.


Category(s):LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender) Issues

Source material from Free Malaysia Today