LGBT-personer – en udsat minoritet?: Mental sundhed i relation til diskrimination, vold, trusler og åbenhed blandt seksuelle minoriteter og transkønnede
Oversat titel
LGBT-people - an exposed minority?: Mental health in relation to discrimination, violence, threats and openness among sexual minorities and transgender
Forfatter
Dinitzen, Katrine
Semester
4. semester
Uddannelse
Udgivelsesår
2016
Afleveret
2016-02-04
Antal sider
119
Abstract
Baggrund og formål: I Danmark har LGBT-personers trivsel og levevilkår haft begrænset opmærksomhed i forskning og politik. Det kan blandt andet skyldes berøringsangst over for seksualitetsforskning og en forventning om, at problemernes omfang ikke kræver særlige indsatser – på trods af, at de få eksisterende studier peger på flere selvmordstanker og -forsøg blandt LGBT-personer. Denne afhandling bidrager med viden om en minoritet, der behøver opmærksomhed i dansk sammenhæng. Forskningsspørgsmål: Hvilken betydning kan det have for LGBT-personers mentale sundhed, at de tilhører en seksuel minoritet? Afhandlingen undersøger særligt diskrimination, vold, trusler og åbenhed om seksuel orientering/kønsidentitet. Teoretisk ramme: Afhandlingen bygger på et socialkonstruktivistisk syn på køn og seksualitet (bl.a. West & Zimmerman og Judith Butler), hvor køn og seksualitet forstås som socialt formede. Goffmans stigmatiseringsteori (suppleret med viden om seksuel stigma) bruges til at belyse, hvordan afvigelse fra normer kan medføre social devaluering. Giddens’ teori om selv-identitet i det moderne samfund forklarer, hvordan man skaber sin selvfortælling i et heteronormativt miljø, hvor heteroseksualitet tages for givet. Meyers minoritetsstressmodel inddrages som en ramme for, hvordan sådanne belastninger kan hænge sammen med mental sundhed hos LGBT-personer. Metode: Tværsnitsanalyse af et eksisterende datasæt indsamlet i 2009 blandt danske LGBT-personer. I alt besvarede 1.192 delvist og 942 fuldførte spørgeskemaet. Psykologisk trivsel blev bl.a. målt med SF-36, en standardmåling af helbred og trivsel. Resultater: Sammenlignet med befolkningsundersøgelser var der på nogle områder øget risiko blandt LGBT-deltagere, især for selvmordstanker og -forsøg; der sås også forskelle i stress og sexlyst. Målt på den psykologiske trivselsdel af SF-36 var der samlet set ikke tydelige forskelle mellem LGBT-grupperne, men efterfølgende analyser viste, at forskellige forhold spiller ind for de enkelte grupper. Diskrimination, trusler og vold begrundet i seksuel orientering/kønsidentitet var ikke udbredt, men forekom; homoseksuelle rapporterede sådanne hændelser oftere end de øvrige grupper. De var også mere åbne om deres orientering end biseksuelle og transpersoner, hvilket peger på, at større åbenhed kan hænge sammen med øget eksponering for stigma. På tværs af temaerne havde personer, der bekymrede sig om trusler og vold, dårligere mental sundhed end dem, der ikke gjorde; det samme gjaldt dem, der havde oplevet trusler eller vold. Personer, der skjulte deres orientering, havde også dårligere mental sundhed end dem, der aldrig gjorde. Resultaterne understreger vigtigheden af at se på både faktiske hændelser og den oplevede risiko og behovet for at skjule. Selvom de overordnede trivselsniveauer var ens på tværs af grupper, var mønstrene forskellige: Homoseksuelle var oftere udsat for stigma-relaterede hændelser, mens biseksuelle og især transpersoner oftere skjulte orientering/identitet; begge dele hang sammen med dårligere mental sundhed.
Background and aim: In Denmark, the well-being and living conditions of LGBT people have received limited attention in research and policy. This may reflect a reluctance to engage with sexuality research and an expectation that problems are not large enough to warrant special action—even though the few existing studies indicate higher rates of suicidal thoughts and attempts among LGBT people. This thesis contributes knowledge about a minority that needs attention in the Danish context. Research question: What impact can belonging to a sexual minority have on LGBT people’s mental health? The thesis focuses on discrimination, violence, threats, and openness about sexual orientation/gender identity. Theoretical framework: The study uses a social constructionist view of gender and sexuality (notably West & Zimmerman and Judith Butler), understanding them as shaped by social norms. Goffman’s theory of stigma (supplemented with research on sexual stigma) is used to show how deviation from norms can lead to social devaluation. Giddens’ work on self-identity in modern society explains how people build their self-narratives within a heteronormative environment where heterosexuality is taken for granted. Meyer’s minority stress model is included as a framework for how these stressors may relate to mental health among LGBT people. Method: Cross-sectional analysis of an existing 2009 survey of Danish LGBT people. In total, 1,192 responded partially and 942 completed the survey. Psychological well-being was measured in part using the SF-36, a standard health and well-being questionnaire. Results: Compared with surveys of the general Danish population, LGBT participants showed elevated risk in some areas, especially suicide attempts and suicidal thoughts; differences also appeared in stress and sex drive. On the psychological well-being component of the SF-36, there were no clear overall differences between LGBT subgroups, though subsequent analyses showed that different factors matter for different groups. Discrimination, threats, and violence based on sexual orientation/gender identity were not widespread but did occur; gay/lesbian participants were significantly more likely to report such events than other groups. They were also more open about their orientation than bisexual and transgender participants, suggesting that greater openness may come with greater exposure to stigma. Across themes, those who worried about threats and violence had poorer mental health than those who did not; those who had ever experienced threats or violence had poorer mental health than those who had not; and those who hid their orientation had poorer mental health than those who never did. These findings highlight the importance of considering both actual events and perceived risk and concealment. While overall well-being levels were similar across groups, the patterns differed: gay/lesbian participants more often faced stigma-related events, whereas bisexual and especially transgender participants were more likely to conceal orientation/identity; both patterns were linked to poorer mental health.
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