Greater supports are needed for young LGBTQI+ people in County Kildare, youth group says

Greater supports are needed for young Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex (LGBTQI+) people living in County Kildare.

That's according to a new report which was conducted by a team of researchers in Trinity College Dublin and published last week.

The report was conducted in association with BeLonG To — LGBTQ+ Youth Ireland, and was launched at an event in the Mansion House in Dublin last week by broadcaster Brendan Courtney, with a keynote from author Dr Seán Hewitt.

The event also featured a panel discussion with a number of LGBTQI+ people sharing their experiences.

According to BeLonG To, the report 'has demonstrated the importance of supports and safe spaces for young people in Kildare.'

Speaking about the study findings last week, Moninne Griffith, CEO of BeLong To, said: "The findings of 'Being LGBTQI+ in Ireland' are disheartening and upsetting, but to those of us working to support LGBTQI+ people, unfortunately they are not surprising.

"Anti-LGBTQI+ and particularly anti-trans (transgender) attacks are on the rise, and we are seeing increasing levels of hate directed at our community."

Ms Griffith continued: "The first study in this series was conducted close to the time of the marriage equality referendum, when hopes were high as to what the future held for LGBTQI+ people in Ireland.

"However, a sense of complacency regarding support for LGBTQI+ people has crept into Irish society since then, with a perception that — because marriage equality was achieved and Pride has become a central calendar highlight for the country as a whole — the struggles of LGBTQI+ people have disappeared.

"This study demonstrates the harsh reality that the opposite is true; depression, anxiety and stress have increased amongst the community, and respondents have reported increases in witnessing bullying in schools, and more young people are considering leaving school early as a result of the treatment they receive.

"These upsetting findings should serve as a rallying cry to the government, policymakers and allies to work with us to end anti-LGBTQI+ stigma and discrimination, and create a society where the LGBTQI+ community can feel safe and supported. That required funding for LGBTQI+ resource centres, community groups, organisations and social spaces for members of the community living in Kildare, and throughout Ireland."

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POSITIVES

Ms Griffith added that, despite these findings, there were also positive insights from the report: "There are some positives, in particular the important role that LGBTQI+ organisations like BeLonG To and community groups throughout the country play in providing safe spaces for young people."

"These spaces allow our young LGBTQI+ people to grow into their identity, develop positive relationships, and witness the joy and pride that comes with belonging to the LGBTQI+ community," she concluded.

Professor Agnes Higgins, a professor at Trinity College Dublin who specialises in Mental Health and who led the research team, also said: "While much progress has been achieved and the majority of LGBTQI+ people over 25 years of age are doing well, the findings continue to highlight that a significant proportion of those under 25 years of age are struggling with their mental health, self-reporting high levels of self-harm, suicidal behaviour, symptoms of possible eating disorders, and symptoms of severe and extremely severe stress, anxiety and depression.

"The research also reveals that in comparison to their cisgender peers, transgender and gender non-conforming participants report poorer mental health."

Prof Higgins continued: "For LGBTQI+ adolescents, school continues to be a challenging place, with many experiencing or witnessing homophobic, transphobic, or biphobic bullying.

"Bullying not only negatively impacted on young people’s desire to leave school early, but those who experienced LGBTQI+ related bullying in school, had poorer wellbeing and mental health outcomes in comparison to those who had not experienced LGBTQI+ related bullying.

"For many transgender and gender non-conforming participants, the school environment was particularly challenging in terms of expressing one’s gender identity.

"It is also clear that harassment and anti-LGBTQI+ hate speech is still a reality for many LGBTQI+ people in Ireland today, with many feeling unsafe to express their sexual orientation or gender identity in public.

"The expansion of online forums appears to be exacerbating the problem, with 23 per cent reporting experiencing anti-LGBTQI+ hate speech either online or in public media within the last year."

Like Ms Griffith, Prof Higgins also noted that the research also heralded 'many positive messages'.

She explained: "Many (participants) expressed pride in their LGBTQI+ identity, as well as celebrating the connection, solidarity and sense of belonging that being engaged in LGBTQI+ culture and politics engenders."

"Importantly, a positive shift in public attitudes since 2016 was also evident, although less favourable attitudes towards transgender and intersex communities was apparent," Prof Higgins concluded.

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KEY FINDINGS

The report found the mental health of Ireland’s young LGBTQI+ population has deteriorated since 2016, when their last study was published.

According to the latest report 72 per cent of LGBTQI+ young people — aged 14 to 18 — have self harmed, as have 75 per cent of the transgender and gender non-conforming communities.

Participants of the survey called for more LGBTQI+ spaces and/or safe spaces, including in rural areas, and more LGBTQI+ affirmative services.

This was echoed in the report’s recommendation that funding is needed for regional LGBTQI+ resource centres, community groups, organisations and social spaces to provide access to LGBTQI+ youth work services, supports for parents and family members, alongside the provision of alcohol-free spaces and facilities for LGBTQI+ people. 

Amongst the 14-to-18-year-olds (a total of 631) who participated in the study:

• 50 per cent experienced severe / extremely severe symptoms of depression
• 66 per cent experienced severe / extremely severe symptoms of anxiety
• 41 per cent experienced severe / extremely severe symptoms of stress
• 59 per cent had a possible eating disorder
• 72 per cent had self-harmed
• 77 per cent reported suicidal thoughts
• 33 per cent had made a suicide attempt

Compared to adolescents (12 to 19 years) in the My World Survey 2, a national study of youth mental health conducted in 2019 by mental health charity Jigsaw and UCD, LGBTQI+ young people aged 14 to 18 in this study had:

• Three times the level of severe or extremely severe symptoms of depression and anxiety
• Three times the level of self-harm
• Two times the level of suicidal thoughts
• Five times the level of suicide attempts

Of the 19-to-25-year-olds who participated (560 in total), the figures decreased slightly compared to the figures for the 14–to-18-year-olds on almost each mental health measure:

• 35 per cent experienced severe / extremely severe symptoms of depression
• 47per cent experienced severe / extremely severe symptoms of anxiety
• 29 per cent experienced severe / extremely severe symptoms of stress
• 47 per cent had a possible eating disorder
• 65 per cent had self-harmed
• 75 per cent reported suicidal thoughts
• 33 per cent had made a suicide attempt

In comparison to cisgender participants, mental health challenges were highest amongst the transgender and gender non-conforming community:

• 44 per cent experienced severe / extremely severe symptoms of depression
• 55 per cent experienced severe / extremely severe symptoms of anxiety
• 35 per cent experienced severe / extremely severe symptoms of stress
• 50 per cent had a possible eating disorder
• 75 per cent had self-harmed
• 82 per cent reported suicidal thoughts
• 39 per cent had made a suicide attempt

Although the study found a positive change in public attitudes towards LGBTQI+ people since 2016, the public surveyed had less favourable attitudes towards the transgender and intersex communities. 

People who reported more knowledge and more frequent interaction with transgender and intersex people were significantly more likely to have positive attitudes.

SYMPTOMS

Amongst the total LGBTQI+ population, within the study, the new report also shows:

• 27 per cent experienced severe / extremely severe symptoms of depression
• 34 per cent experienced severe / extremely severe symptoms of anxiety
• 23 per cent experienced severe / extremely severe symptoms stress
• 52 per cent had self-harmed
• 64 per cent reported suicidal thoughts
• 26 per cent had made a suicide attempt

INCREASES

Significantly, since the 2016 LGBTIreland study, there has been a:

• 17 per cent increase in symptoms of severe / extremely severe symptoms of depression
• 30 per cent increase in symptoms of severe / extremely severe symptoms of anxiety
• 33 per cent increase in symptoms of severe / extremely severe symptoms of stress

In response to the mental health challenges facing them, 60 per cent of participants had sought professional help for a mental health problem in the past five years.

SUPPORT

Despite these figures, the report demonstrated the important and critical role LGBTQI+ community groups and support networks (family, friends, peers, work colleagues) play in supporting positive mental health amongst the community.

84 per cent of participants felt that having a connection with the LGBTQI+ community through LGBTQI+ groups had a positive impact on their mental health, with 93 per cent of participants rating making LGBTQI+ friends as also having a positive impact.

The 'Being LGBTQI+ in Ireland' study can be downloaded here: https://www.belongto.org/support-our-work/advocacy/lgbtq-research/.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can contact BeLonG To or LGBT Ireland.

Additionally, you can contact Samaritans Ireland (116 123 or jo@samaritans.org) or HSE counselling services (1800-235-234).