A University of Cambridge study shows that LGBT people are two to three times more likely to suffer from chronic psychological problems such as depression and are twice as likely to not trust their GP
A University of Cambridge study shows that LGBT people are two to three times more likely to suffer from chronic psychological problems such as depression and are twice as likely to not trust their GP, reports Varsity.
The study was based on a survey of two million people, 27,000 of whom identified as a sexual minority.
According to the survey, while only five percent of straight men reported psychological problems, 11 percent of gay men and 15 percent of bisexual men reported such problems.
While 12 percent of lesbians and 19 percent of bisexual women reported long-term psychological conditions, only six percent of heterosexual women reported similar problems.
The survey also found that general health was of a lower quality amongst LGBT people, with 22 percent of gay men and 26 percent of bisexual men reporting poor general health, alongside 25 percent of lesbians and 31 percent of bisexual women. Only 20 percent of straight men and 21 percent of straight women classified their health as poor.
The study also suggests that some LGBT people had faced a hostile health-related environment in which sexual minorities were stigmatised.
Professor Martin Roland, director of the Cambridge Centre for Health Services Research, said:
"The survey shows that sexual minorities suffer both poorer health and have worse experiences when they see their GP. We need to ensure both that doctors recognise the needs of sexual minorities, and also that sexual minorities have the same experience of care as other patients."
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