There’s More to My Education is the priority campaign of NUS Scotland’s LGBT Campaign, seeking to further and better the experiences of the LGBT community when accessing Mental Health services in universities & colleges, as well as community-based Mental Health services. The campaign developed from a report commissioned by NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, which was carried out by the Scottish Associat
ion for Mental Health (SAMH), along with partners LGBT Youth Scotland, The Equality Network, Positive Mental Attitudes, Terrence Higgins Trust and Gay Men’s Health. The report was entitled There’s More to Me, and this campaign takes its aims from several of the recommendations which the SAMH report recommended. Homosexuality was only declassified as a mental illness by the World Health Organisation in 1992, and therefore it is not surprising that accessing mental health services has been difficult for the LGBT community. A Scottish Government report noted that one in four people in Scotland will experience a mental health problem at some point in their lives, and with Stonewall having reported that half a million of Scotland’s population are LGBT, mental health issues within the LGBT community will affect a large number of people. A broad belief came from the SAMH report that LGB people experienced mental health problems more frequently than others, not because there is an intrinsic link between mental health problems and being LGB, but because of experiences such as isolation, homophobia and general oppression in our community. LGBT people need to be able to access mental health services without the fear of being persecuted because of their sexuality, and the stigma attached to LGBT people and mental health needs to be challenged. This campaign aims to work towards a mentally flourishing LGBT community in Scotland. Aims
LGBT Students should be able to access, without fear, LGBT Friendly Mental Health Services in their university or college, or in the community as they see fit. Mental Health Services across Scotland should create and maintain strong links with local LGBT support groups to allow for better signposting and early intervention on Mental Health issues. Health Professionals should not judge anyone accessing their Mental Health Services on the basis of that person’s sexuality. Anti-Stigma campaigns run by the Government should include elements specifically targeted at and developed by the LGBT Community
