mental health
Young queer women reporting high levels of psychological distress: NSW study
Young LGBTIQ women in New South Wales are reporting experiencing high or very high levels of psychological distress, according to new research from the periodic Sydney Women and Sexual Health Survey (SWASH) released this week. The biennial survey, conducted by ACON and the University of Sydney, collected data from nearly 1300 participants in 2018, ranging …
Australian Social Workers Call For States To Ban ‘Gay Conversion Therapy’
The Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) has welcomed the Victorian government’s recent pledge to outlaw gay “conversion therapy” and called on other states to look at similar bans. The discredited “conversion” practices attempt to change or suppress an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity using psychological or spiritual means, and have been condemned by …
Fear Of Discrimination Stopping LGBTIQ People Seeking Crisis Help, Study Finds
An alarming number of LGBTI+ Australians are choosing not to seek help from crisis support services in times of need, a new report has found. The Understanding LGBTI+ Lives in Crisis report, released today, was commissioned by support service Lifeline and conducted by the Australian Centre for Sex, Health and Society at La Trobe University. …
Study Confirms Postal Survey Damaged LGBTIQ Australians’ Mental Health
New research has found the same-sex marriage postal survey led to increased depression, anxiety and stress among LGBTIQ Australians, leading advocates to call for political parties to rule out holding public votes on LGBTIQ rights. The University of Sydney study, published in the Australian Psychological Society’s journal Australian Psychologist, assessed the mental health of 1305 …
Gay Man Dies By Suicide In Custody After Alleged Homophobic Harassment
A 23-year-old gay man who suffered from bipolar disorder died by suicide in prison after he was subjected to homophobic taunts and denied access to mental health services, his partner has alleged. The man, identified as Marcus Neil Middleton, was found dead in his cell at Noble County Jail in the US state of Indiana …
This Sexy ‘Manscapes’ Calendar Is Raising Money For An Important Cause
The 2019 edition of the sexy Manscapes calendar by Byron Bay-based artist John Bortolin has been launched as part of this year’s Mental Health Week. The calendar blends regional Australian landscapes and male nude photography, and the project is closely linked to men’s wellbeing. “The calendar is a tribute to some of my friends who …
New National Organisation Formed To Support Bisexual Mental Health
The largest study of bisexual Australians has led to the formation of a new organisation aimed at improving their mental health through support, education and research. The new group Bi+ Australia is the brainchild of La Trobe University researcher Julia Taylor and follows the completion of her Who I Am study, a survey of 2600 …
Mental Health Week 2018: Headspace Warns Of Youth Mental Health Crisis
Youth mental health organisation headspace has revealed alarming new data on the levels of psychological distress among young Australians. Nearly one in three (32%) young Australians aged 12 to 25 are reporting high or very high levels of psychological distress, triple the rate in 2007 (9%), according to the research. The organisation announced the data …
R U OK Day: What Do You Do If Someone Says ‘No’?
By Jill Newby and Chien Hoong Gooi, University of New South Wales R U OK Day is on Thursday, encouraging all of us to check in with others to see if they’re OK. But what if someone says “no”? What should you say or do? Should you tell someone else? What resources can you point …
Major Grant To Fund Research Into Indigenous LGBTIQ Mental Health
A major grant received by the Telethon Kids Institute will be used to fund research into the social and emotional wellbeing and mental health needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex or queer (LGBTIQ). The $716,000 grant for the Institute was announced in the latest …