At the beginning of LGBT History Month the London Assembly Health Committee publishes findings and recommendations to the Mayor of London on how he can provide better mental health support for LGBT+ people.
A report produced by the Health Committee of the London Assembly reports LGBT+ people need more support with their mental health.
The report finds:
♦ Up to one in ten Londoners (over 800,000 people) identifies as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and/or other definitions of sexual orientation or gender identity.
♦ Around 40 per cent of LGBT+ people experience a mental health issue, compared to 25 per cent of the wider population.
♦ LGBT+ people are often overlooked when health commissioning decisions are made because of a lack of data and poor consultation.
♦ Generic mental health services are not meeting the current needs of LGBT+ people.
♦ Without specialist support LGBT+ people will continue to experience mental health inequality, stigma and discrimination.
The report recommends:
♦ Hospital staff and GP surgeries, including frontline staff should be more LGBT+ friendly with improved equality and diversity training.
♦ The Mayor should lead a public campaign to tackle discrimination against LGBT+ people in London and explicitly recognise the different groups within the LGBT+ umbrella.
♦ In developing the mental health roadmap, the Mayor and the London Health Board should ensure that the specific mental health needs of LGBT+ people are explicitly set out.
♦ The scale of the issue within LGBT+ communities should be properly assessed.
Dr Onkar Sahota AM, Chair of the Health Committee, said: “At the start of LGBT History Month we want this call heard loud and clear by the Mayor. Action is needed now to tackle the urgent mental health needs of LGBT+ people.
Time has run out for some and the Mayor needs to take firm and decisive action on his mental health promises to LGBT+ Londoners.
The Health Committee heard a strong and rallying call from a number of LGBT+ Londoners and organisations about prevention and ways he can support better mental health for those who have struggled against the system for long enough.“
To read a full copy of the report, click here:
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