Shottery St Andrew's CE Primary School
Care, Inspire, Achieve.
Shottery St Andrew's CE Primary School
Care, Inspire, Achieve.
LGBTQ+
The acronym ‘LGBTQI+’ refers to people that identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, and intersex. The + refers to an inclusive term for people who do not feel that they fit into traditional categories of sexuality or gender.
While being a member of the LGBTQI+ community is not automatically a risk factor for poor mental health, evidence suggests that LGBTQI+ young people may be more susceptible to mental health problems.
A research project into the mental health of LGBTQI+ young people, conducted by Youth Chances, found that LGBTQI+ young people report significantly higher levels of mental health problems including depression and anxiety, self-harm and suicidal thoughts.
52% of LGBTQI+ people reported self-harming, compared to 35% of heterosexual non-trans young people. 44% of the LGBTQI+ young people surveyed reported suicidal thoughts, compared to 26% of heterosexual respondents.
How does identifying as LGBTQI+ affect children and young people’s mental health?
There are a range of complex risk factors that affect LGBTQI+ children and young people and contribute to the disproportionately high level of mental health difficulties in this community. These risk factors include:
- Discrimination and bullying: Research has found that nearly half of children and young people who identify as LGBTQI+ are subject to bullying in school.
- Hate crime: People who identify as LGBTQI+ are more likely to experience hate crimes or act of violence compared to heterosexual people.
- Isolation within the community: Identifying as LGBTQI+ can lead to children and young people feeling isolated and on the outside of friendship groups at school and at external clubs or activities. They can struggle with finding friendships where they feel accepted and comfortable.
- Coming out: Whilst the coming out process can be a liberating process for children and young people, it can also be a highly stressful and challenging time or a combination of both. It can also be a process that happens numerous times within their childhood.
- Discrimination in healthcare: LGBTQI+ children and young people and their parents or carers may experience discrimination. As a result, this may affect their ability to access services and the same level of support as the general population, for both their physical and mental health needs.
- Family problems: Some children and young people who identify as LGBTQI+ are rejected by their family and support network which may be due to conflicting religious or cultural beliefs and values. This can even lead to homelessness - nearly 1 in 10 LGBTQI+ young people have had to leave home for reasons relating to their sexuality or gender identity.