Minus18 Mental Health project 2007

Executive Summary

Background

Poor mental health is a key issue for gay, lesbian, and bisexual (GLB) adolescents, and has been strongly linked to society's negative attitudes toward their sexual orientation. This homophobia results in social rejection, stigmatisation, alienation and isolation among GLB youth, which, in turn, is related to high levels of depression. Social exclusion and discrimination creates an enormous challenge for this population to find a place in which they can gain a healthy sense of belonging, which can, in turn, provide some protection from the development of poor mental health.

Gay and lesbian communities may be valuable in developing a healthy sense of belonging among GLB adolescents. Within
Australia, there exists a growing number of community based groups offering social opportunities to GLB adolescents.