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MindOut LGBTQ mental health service.
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MindOut Partnership with NHS Professionals

Mental health and the LGBTQ community

Pride month may be over but the mental health of those within the LGBTQ community is still as important as ever, especially when shockingly, half of all LGBT people said they have experienced depression over the last year.

MindOut health services

  • We have proudly partnered with MindOut, a community mental health service run by and for LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer) people based in Brighton. MindOut work to improve the wellbeing of LGBTQ communities, reduce social isolation, reduce suicidal distress and to make mental health a community concern.

  • They do this by listening to and responding to the LGBTQ experience of mental health. Offering hope through positive relationships and professional expertise, preventing loneliness, crisis and suicidal ideation in LGBTQ communities.

    MindOut provides safe spaces for people to meet and support each other as well as helping people protect their rights and get their voices heard. They campaign and create  conversations about LGBTQ mental health throughout the world.

  • The services they offer include advice and information, advocacy, peer support group work, peer mentoring, befriending, counselling, online support, suicide prevention, anti-stigma campaigning and LGBTQ affirmative practice training.

Why MindOut?

MindOut is needed because LGBTQ people often do not get the support they need for their mental health from mainstream services, often feel isolated from LGBTQ communities and face additional discrimination, exclusion and minority stress.
LGBTQ people deserve a space where their identities are recognised and understood.

For more information, and to access their online resources, please visit their website.

More Information:

  • 42% of gay men and 70% of lesbians experience mental health problems at some point in their lifetime, compared to some 25% of general population (MIND mental health charity LGBTQ+ good practice guide 2016).
  • In July 2017, the government launched a survey to gather more information about the experiences of LGBT people in the UK, and over 108,000 people participated, making it the largest national survey of LGBT people in the world to date. Some of the key findings were

    • LGBT respondents are less satisfied with their life than the general UK population (rating satisfaction 6.5 on average out of 10 compared with 7.7).
    • Trans respondents had particularly low scores (around 5.4 out of 10).
    • More than two thirds of LGBT respondents said they avoid holding hands with a same-sex partner for fear of a negative reaction from others.
    • 824% of respondents had accessed mental health services in the 12 months preceding the survey.

  • Stonewall’s LGBT in Britain - Health Report is based on YouGov research with 5000 lesbian, gay, bi and trans (LGBT) people across England, Scotland and Wales about their life in Britain today. This report looks at mental health and well-being of LGBT people and investigates their experiences when accessing healthcare services.

    This study shows that half of LGBT people (52 per cent) experienced depression in the last year and face widespread discrimination in healthcare settings. One in seven LGBT people (14 per cent) avoid seeking healthcare for fear of discrimination from staff.

  • Responses to the 2009-10 English General Practice Patient survey, involving over 27,000 from patients describing themselves as gay, lesbian or bisexual showed that 

    • 12% of lesbian women and almost 19% of bisexual women reported mental health problems, compared with 6 % of heterosexual women; 
    • 11% of gay men and 15% of bisexual men reported problems compared with 5% of heterosexual men. 
  • Experience or fear of hate crime can have a lasting, cumulative negative effect on mental health.
  • The reluctance of some LGBTQ people to come out to health professionals due to negative past experiences or concerns about being discriminated against) contributes to a vicious circle, where a lack of data is interpreted as a lack of need.
  • Research shows that most LGBT people would prefer to access specialist services. This reflects a belief that mainstream services – either LA commissioned or NHS – do not adequately cater for their needs or recognise their sexual orientation and/or gender identity (Trust for London).
  • A Stonewall survey in 2012 found that rates of mental ill health are significantly higher amongst lesbian, gay and bisexual ethnic minorities that their white counterparts and also much higher amongst disabled lesbian, gay and bisexual individuals.
  • The Trans Mental Health Study 2012 found that out of 889 people, 84% had, at some point, thought about ending their life.

“The support I've had from MindOut has been invaluable. I am feeling like my old self again, even happy. Before, happiness eluded me because I was always alone.”

“It is without exaggeration that I would be dead today without the help from MindOut. Specifically, I am talking about advocacy, my peer support group, and peer mentoring.”

“I've been feeling so utterly cut off and isolated, I don't have contact with my family, and I don't have any friends. My anxiety means I often can't get out of my studio flat – but I can get to my support group and I care about my new friends in the group – that's a good feeling.”

“The support I get from MindOut is better than any medication.”

"Sometimes it feels like I am talking with a group of friends who understand what I am going through if I am having a difficult time. There is no judgment. They offer suggestions and support to help me get through."