Discrimination is being blamed for high rates of mental health problems amongst gay men and lesbians, a study suggests.
A survey of 1,285 homosexual and bisexual men and women found just under a third had attempted suicide. Just over 40% had had problems such as anxiety and sleep disturbance, the Imperial College researchers said.
The British Journal of Psychiatry study said there was a "likely link" with discrimination such as having been bullied at school or a recent attack.
Eighty-three per cent of respondents said they had experienced either damage to property, personal attacks or verbal insults in the last five years, or insults and bullying at school, with many attributing these experiences to their sexuality.
The survey found that 42% of the gay men, 43% of lesbians and 49% of bisexual men and women had a clinically recognised mental health problem.
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Richard Brook, chief executive of mental health charity Mind, said: "Discrimination can impact negatively on a person's mental health.
"But we should be careful not see it as a simplistic causal factor in predicting mental ill health."
Read rest of story hereThis is from the UK. I can say from personal experience that the U.S. is even worse.
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