If you identify as LGBTQ and have required therapy services in Chester before, then it may be no surprise to you to hear about the epidemic of mental health issues that is facing the community.
According to research from charity Stonewall, 52 per cent of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender said that they had struggled with depression in the past year. This is much higher than the national average, which the charity Mind estimates sits at around 25 per cent.
Reported by Pink News, the results of their survey also found that as much of 61 per cent of the community had also suffered with anxiety, more than three times higher than the national average of 17 per cent according to the NHS.
This is believed to be down to discrimination still faced by the LGBT community.
The study, created in collaboration with YouGov, surveyed more than 5,000 LGBTQ people from across the UK, and looked in particular at the challenges they face in accessing NHS services.
As one person who identifies as female explained, there are many health questions posed, especially to women, which are relevant to sexuality, meaning that LGBTQ people must regularly broach their sexual preferences with healthcare professionals: “Having to decide whether to come out to people you hardly know and may never see again is never-ending and a little bit wearying.”
25 per cent of LGBQ people have found that their healthcare professionals have lacked understanding on their specific needs, but this figure grows to 62 per cent for those who identify as trans.