GLIBT mental health reforms
08th October 2008
According to the 2006 report Private Lives – A report on the health and well being of GLBTI Australians, nearly three-quarters of those who took part in the survey reported at least one sign of a major depressive episode.
It was also found that 16 per cent of participants had experienced suicidal thoughts.
These alarming statistics have been highlighted once again as part of Mental Health Week.
Mental Health Week is a national initiative which runs until October 11 and aims to educate and engage Victorians around mental health and related issues.
Brett Hayhoe from People Living with HIV/AIDS Victoria told MCV that living with HIV/AIDS poses specific mental health problems: “Mental health is something which very much affects our members; it is par for the course for people living with HIV/AIDS.”
Hayhoe said 28.5 per cent of PLWHA have taken prescribed medication for depression.
“Anxiety is a huge problem as well and in all of the programs we run we include issues surrounding mental health.”
According to Hayhoe all too often people living with HIV/AIDS dismiss symptoms as side-effects of the anti-retroviral drugs.
“We need to recognise when something is wrong and get some help.”
TransGender Victoria has called for action from state and federal government to improve the mental health situations for transgender people.
The TranZnation report found that 87 per cent of transgender people had experienced discrimination in some form. The report also found that significant evidence of suicide risk and depression is cause for immediate action.
TransGender Victoria spokesperson Sally Goldner said one in four transgender people have suicidal thoughts on a fortnightly basis.
“Suicide and the risk of attempted suicide is high,” Goldner said. “And even though not every transgender person is having depression or thoughts of suicide, it is still highly disproportionate to the rest of the population.”
Goldner said transgender people are at the “bottom end of the league ladder of human rights” when it concerns addressing mental health issues.
“We are at a point where we have enough research and we need action. The trans community is sick of reports, inquiries and blogs, we just want some outcomes.”
Ben Ruse, a spokesperson for the Minister of Health, told MCV the Brumby Government is developing a Mental Health Strategy to guide mental health services over the next 10 years and that the strategy is addressing the needs of the GLIBT community.
“The Mental Health Reform Strategy will clearly acknowledge this issue and the fact that our service system needs to be cognisant of the needs of the gay community, in particular the rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm, drug and alcohol issues and the effects of homophobia on mental health,” Ruse said.
“The strategy will also seek to work with schools to identify and intervene earlier when children/young people are experiencing mental health problems. This will provide better support for same-sex attracted youth if they should require support for mental health problems.
“We hope that our reforms will achieve improvements for all consumers of mental health services, including the gay community.”
Source: MCV