Mental Health Professionals Take Lead to Remove Stigma of Sexual Orientation

Mental Health Professionals Take Lead to Remove Stigma of Sexual Orientation

Although the American Psychiatric Association and the American Psychological Association no longer consider homosexuality to be a mental disorder, some individuals still harbor this belief.

The American Psychological Association took an even stronger stand and adopted an official policy statement that “homosexuality per se implies no impairment in judgment, stability, reliability, or general social or vocational capabilities” and indicated that mental health professionals should take the lead in removing the stigma of mental illness that has long been associated with homosexual orientations.

A number of studies (Berube, 1990; Gonsiorek, 1982; Hooker, 1957; Reiss, 1980) have demonstrated few adjustment differences between individuals with a homosexual or heterosexual orientation. As one researcher concluded, “Homosexuality in and of itself is unrelated to psychological disturbance or maladjustment. Homosexuals, as a group, are not more psychologically disturbed on account of their homosexuality” (Gonsiorek, 1982, p. 74).

However, exposure to societal discrimination may be responsible for the recent findings that lesbian and gay youth report elevated rates of Major Depression, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and substance abuse. Gay men also reported high rates of major depression. Lesbians appear to fare better and re ported mental health equal to that of their heterosexual counterparts.

Individuals who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered are at higher risk for substance and alcohol related problems. Compared to heterosexuals, GLBT individuals are more likely to have been abused as children and adults. Sexual assaults in adulthood were reported by 11.6 percent of gay men, 13.2 per- cent of bisexual men, and 1.6 percent of heterosexual men. Among women, the rates of sexual assault were 15.5 percent of lesbians, 16.9 percent of bisexual women, and 7.5 percent of heterosexual women.

Gender identity issues and cross-dressing can be characterized as mental disorders according to the mental health organizations. However, transgender individuals are hoping that they can follow the success and path taken by the gay liberation movement and eliminate the classification as a mental disorder.

(Sue, Derald Wing. Counseling the Culturally Diverse, 5th Edition. John Wiley & Sons (P&T) 446).