Stigma and prejudice about a particular group of people may cause adverse consequences for their health and overall quality of life. For example, the LGBTQ community has worse health outcomes than heterosexual people (Zajac & Godshall, 2020). Specifically, the LGBTQ population is at greater risk of developing mental health issues as panic disorder, anxiety, and depression, with an increased suicide rate among these people (Kaniuka et al., 2019). The main reasons for more prominent suicidal behavior among LGBTQ groups were stigma and discrimination (Aranmolate et al., 2017). The LQBTQ population often reports financial insecurity and lack of health insurance (Sachdeva et al., 2021). This disparity in access to healthcare places this community at risk of developing complications from untreated chronic diseases and mental issues. Therefore, the health problems of the LGBTQ community should be widely explored to reduce discrimination against these people and provide additional support in obtaining healthcare.
Stigmatization of the LGBTQ population should be stopped to improve health outcomes in these people. I selected this group for research because every person has the right to choose one’s sexual orientation without being stigmatized. Furthermore, I could not leave the issue of annual suicides committed by LGBTQ people in my neighborhood. The main reason for those suicides was always social pressure. Indeed, research shows that social isolation and interpersonal dysfunction are significant contributors to suicidal behavior (Kaniuka et al., 2019). Conversely, representatives of the LGBTQ community who had personal support had a low risk of developing mental health issues (Kaniuka et al., 2019). I was excited to learn about specific factors to improve mental health outcomes among these people. I found that feeling connected to a community, lack of judgment, and access to mental health services are protective against suicidal behavior among the LGBTQ population. In this project, I want to conduct an anonymous online survey among students about their understanding of healthcare access among these marginalized groups and suggestions for improvement.
Overall, the LGBTQ community is often stigmatized in society which prevents them from getting appropriate healthcare. Mental health issues are more common in this group of people compared to their heterosexual counterparts. Suicides are considered the primary cause of death in this population because they often cannot access therapy. In my research, I found that social attachment is protective against suicides among the LGBTQ population. However, more research needs to be conducted to understand the comprehension of this problem among students.
References
Aranmolate, R., Bogan, D. R., Hoard, T., & Mawson, A. R. (2017). Suicide risk factors among LGBTQ youth. JSM Schizophrenia, 2(2), 1-4.
Kaniuka, A., Pugh, K. C., Jordan, M., Brooks, B., Dodd, J., Mann, A. K., Williams, S. L., & Hirsch, J. K. (2019). Stigma and suicide risk among the LGBTQ population: Are anxiety and depression to blame and can connectedness to the LGBTQ community help? Journal of Gay & Lesbian Mental Health, 23(2), 205–220. Web.
Sachdeva, I., Aithal, S., Yu, W., Toor, P., & Tan, J. (2021). The disparities faced by the LGBTQ+ community in times of COVID-19. Psychiatry Research, 297, 1-2. Web.
Zajac, C., & Godshall, K. C. (2020). Empowerment through accessibility: Community needs assessment data for LGBTQ communities. Social Work in Public Health, 35(6), 483–493. Web.