Save the Date! Webinar: Lessons learned from Online Mental Health Support for LGBTIQ
The SNNL community of practice “LGBTI health” aims to improve the health and rights of LGBTI people and communities by strengthening the knowledge and capacities of professionals. One of the activities to achieve this goal is through a thematic meeting on Lessons learned from online mental health support for LGBTIQ.
Date: 21st December 2021
Time: 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM (Bangladesh Time)
Place: Zoom meeting (online)
Click the button below to Register and save the date:
Click here to register for the Webinar!
The high prevalence of mental disorders has posed a challenge around the globe. However, many people with mental health concerns continue to encounter many barriers to accessing care with less than half of them receiving treatment (Whaibeh, 2019; Alonso et al., 2007). This situation is even more challenging for LGBTIQ individuals, who experience higher rates of some mental health concerns due to widespread violence, societal stigma and criminalising contexts, among others.
Online support and services have been seen by mental health care providers as an option that can help overcome the barriers faced by LGBTIQ individuals in accessing mental health services, especially LGBTIQ youth who are often driven online to look for a supportive, validating community and relevant, accurate information (Steinke et al., 2016). Internet is identified as a valuable resource for LGBTIQ youth, especially those who had limited access to other supports (Wilson & Cariola, 2019). For years, LGBTIQ community-based organizations (CBOs) have been using hotline, email and messaging platforms to reach their communities and to provide psychological support for those who need.
On the basis of the above, it is thus important to further explore how these online mental health support and services have been provided, what are the advantages and the challenges of the services provided by CBOs, and how the services accommodate the different needs within the LGBTI community. Furthermore, it is also important to explore the opportunities to adopt the approach in other settings in order to improve the mental health status of LGBTIQ people, especially in the today’s digital era.
Speakers
Leow Yangfa – Oogachaga, Singapore’s only LGBTQ-affirming counselling organization
Jennifer de Lange – University of Groningen, Online treatment for LGBT + youth in the Netherlands with suicidal thoughts.
Mathijs Lucassen – The Open University, Rainbow SPARX: computerized cognitive behavioral therapy (CCBT) program addressing depression in sexual minority youth
Freya Terpstra – Transgender Netwerk Nederland, Online support about gender for youth in the Netherlands
The event will be moderated by Dennis van Wanrooij (KIT Royal Tropical Institute, Share-Net Netherlands’ LGBTI Health CoP member).
Stay tuned for the full invitation and programme!