Mind Matters - Programme of Mental Health Events for LGBT People

Research shows that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people can experience significant health problems – such as mental ill-health and illnesses related to smoking, drug and alcohol abuse – which are strongly linked to social exclusion, prejudice, discrimination and ignorance. The LGBT Centre for Health and Wellbeing opened in 2003 as a unique initiative to address these health inequalities by promoting the health of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people living in, working in and travelling to Edinburgh. The Centre runs events, workshops and courses promoting healthy lifestyles and supporting LGBT communities, as well as providing a wide range of information on health, LGBT issues and community groups. Over the next couple of months, Edinburgh’s unique (it is the only such Centre in the UK) LGBT health and wellbeing centre is running a series of events aimed at promoting the mental health of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LBGT) people.

The Mind Matters programme aims to address mental ill-health and to give LGBT people the tools to develop positive mental health, in an environment which helps to address the problems that contribute to these problems. LGBT people experience mental ill-health at a rate far higher than the mainstream. In the Centre’s own needs assessment, 69% of people said they had experienced poor mental health, including depression, anxiety and stress. 23% had attempted suicide, and 20% had self-harmed. In the same survey 70% of people had experienced verbal, physical or sexual assault as a result of being LGBT, and 7% had experienced homelessness for the same reason. LGBT people also report experiencing discrimination in accessing mainstream health and other services.

The second Mind Matters programme, a follow-up to a similar 2007 series of events, will include workshops on managing depression, anxiety and anger, and a workshop on healthy sleep, as well as an assertiveness course and our innovative Managing Change life coaching course for transsexual people, and work supporting LGBT people who are carers. Future work lined up for Mind Matters includes a course on managing self-harm, and work on developing healthy relationships.