Mental health and wellbeing

Just over half of LGBT people have experienced depression in the last year, whilst three in five have experienced anxiety. Stonewall's LGBT in Britain health report (2018) provides a helpful introduction to LGBT+ mental health issues.

The Wellbeing Support Services webpage for staff supporting students provides contact details for staff members wanting to discuss practical, emotional, or psychological concerns about a student, and/or to discuss potential referrals to their support services or other support resources. More generally, Wellbeing Support Services' contact details are available on their homepage.

We have also compiled some informative resources for you as a supporter:

• Stonewall's 'LGBT in Britain - Health' report (2018)
• Mind's guide to supporting someone who is LGBTQ+ in relation to their mental health and wellbeing
• Student Minds' guide on supporting a friend, including how to start the conversation, self-care tips, and support for specific difficulties.
• Student Minds' 'Look After Your Mate' guide, including practical tips, understanding specific difficulties, and signposting to support.
• Student Minds' 'LGBTQ+ Student Mental Health: The challenges and needs of gender, sexual and romantic minorities in Higher Education' report
• HRC's guide on supporting and caring for bisexual youth

Hate, harassment, bullying and discrimination

1 in 5 LGBT people have experienced a hate crime/incident in the past year (rising to 2 in 5 trans people). 4 in 5 incidents went unreported, with younger people particularly reluctant to go to the police. Stonewall's LGBT in Britain hate crime and discrimination report (2018) provides a helpful introduction to LGBT+ hate crime and discrimination.

This Wellbeing Support Services webpage for staff supporting students provides contact details for staff members wanting to discuss practical, emotional, or psychological concerns about a student, and/or to discuss potential referrals to their support services or other support resources. More generally, Wellbeing Support Services' contact details are available on their homepage.

The Report & Support service can advise and support staff and students who have experienced hate crime, harassment, and/or discrimination, as well as those supporting them. Their support pages include information on what these experiences look like, support and reporting options if you have been affected, and how to respond if you receive a disclosure or are supporting someone who has been affected. It is possible to speak to an advisor, or make an anonymous report through the Report & Support service.

The SU Advice Centre and Wellbeing Support Services are third party hate crime reporting centres. This means that they can support someone to report hate crime and hate incidents if they do not want to approach the police directly to make a report.

We have also compiled some informative resources for you as a supporter:

• LGBT+ Foundation's video 'How to support LGBT victims of hate crime'
• Galop's practical handbook for working with victims of anti-LGBT hate crimes

Supporting Someone who has Experienced Sexual Violence or Domestic Abuse

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This Wellbeing Support Services webpage for staff supporting students provides contact details for staff members wanting to discuss practical, emotional, or psychological concerns about a student, and/or to discuss potential referrals to their support services or other support resources (including the University's Sexual and Domestic Violence Adviser). More generally, Wellbeing Support Services' contact details are available on their homepage.

The Report & Support service can advise and support staff and students who have experienced sexual violence or domestic abuse, as well as those supporting them. Their support pages include information on what these experiences look like, support and reporting options if you have been affected, and how to respond if you receive a disclosure or are supporting someone who has been affected. It is possible to speak to an advisor, or make an anonymous report through the Report & Support service.

We have also compiled some informative resources for you as a supporter:

• Galop's guide on LGBT+ people and sexual violence
• Galop's survey report on LGBT+ people's experience of sexual violence
• Galop's guide to abusive behaviours and check sheet
• HRC's resource addressing common myths about LGBTQ+ domestic abuse
• End The Fear campaign's information on same-sex domestic abuse

Conversion therapy

Conversion therapy is any practice which tries to change or suppress someone's sexual or romantic orientation or trans identity, ranging from pseudo-psychological therapies to surgical interventions and 'corrective' rape. Conversion therapy can have serious long-term effects on LGBT+ people, including depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts, as well as difficulties forming and maintaining relationships, feelings of isolation and shame.

The national LGBT survey found that 1 in 50 LGBT+ people have been a victim of conversion therapy, whilst 1 in 15 have been offered conversion therapy. Practitioners can be family members, faith leaders or organisations, members of a community or group shared with the victim, counsellors or therapists. Just over half of conversion therapy experiences shared in the national LGBT survey were conducted by faith groups.

Conversion therapy might look like:

• Being prayed over or exorcised
• Being forced to eat or drink something to cleanse or purify them
• Controlling behaviour, such as limiting movements or contact with other people
• Coercion to take part in romantic or sexual activity with an opposite-sex partner
• Punishment for engaging in stereotypically feminine or masculine behaviour
• Forced marriage, or threats of forced marriage
• Sexual assault (including 'corrective' rape), or threats of sexual assault

There are significant barriers to seeking support as an LGBTQUIA+ person experiencing conversion therapy, particularly where it is administered, facilitated or supported by people that the victim respects, trusts, or cares about. The victim may not recognise the conversion therapy practices as abusive or wrong, and may appear to be supportive or engaging proactively with them. They may be concerned about their own or their family or community's reputation or 'honour' if they do not engage with conversion therapy/continue to be LGBTQUIA+, or speak to others about it. They may be concerned about negative repercussions for the people administering, facilitating, or supporting the conversion therapy if they report it or seek help, particularly where those people are caring or loving in other aspects of their life. They may have been convinced that being LGBTQUIA+ is wrong, and something which can and should be changed. They may have low self-esteem and self-worth as a result of conversion therapy practices and a lack of acceptance from family or community members. Victims may also feel that they have consented to or asked for conversion therapy. It may be the first time the victim has spoken about their romantic or sexual orientation or trans identity outside of their family or community, and they may never have had a positive reaction. Refusing to engage with conversion therapy may mean the loss of family or community contact, including access to housing and financial support.

This Wellbeing Support Services webpage for staff supporting students provides contact details for staff members wanting to discuss practical, emotional, or psychological concerns about a student, and/or to discuss potential referrals to their support services or other support resources (including the University's Sexual and Domestic Violence Adviser). More generally, Wellbeing Support Services' contact details are available on their homepage.

You can best support by:

• Reassuring them that there is nothing wrong with being LGBTQUIA+, they do not need to be 'cured' or to change their sexual or romantic orientation or trans identity.
• Helping them to recognise conversion therapy practices they have experienced as abusive and wrong.
• Reassuring them of confidentiality for information they share with you, and the confidentiality of support services available to them.
• Signposting them to appropriate support services (see sources of support here).
• Connecting them with LGBTQUIA+ peer support, especially if they do not have a strong peer support network in place.
• Exploring logistical considerations to ensure their immediate safety, such as emergency accommodation if they live with a person who is administering, facilitating or supporting the conversion therapy practices.

We have also compiled some informative resources for you as a supporter:

• HRC's 'The Lies and Dangers of Efforts to Change Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity'
• Ban Conversion Therapy's archive of personal stories from conversion therapy victims

Blackmail

LGBTQUIA+ people are particularly vulnerable to blackmail. Perpetrators often use the threat of outing (of sharing the victim's sexual or romantic orientation or trans identity with others, such as family or friends), and may have access to messages, dating profiles, photos or videos relating to someone's identity, dating or sex life, which they threaten to share. Additionally they may threaten to share fabricated information which they believe will damage the person's reputation and relationships.

Some LGBTQUIA+ people who are particularly vulnerable to blackmail are:

• International students whose home country criminalises LGBTQUIA+ people, or where social acceptance of LGBTQUIA+ people is low
• People of faith, if their faith community are not openly accepting of LGBTQUIA+ people
• People who are not predominantly 'out' about their LGBTQUIA+ identity
• People who do not have strong family and peer support networks
• People who use hook-up apps

There are significant barriers to seeking support as an LGBTQUIA+ person experiencing blackmail. Seeking help often means the victim having to out themselves to others, or share some private information they may be ashamed of, embarrassed about, or worried about people's response to.

Galop's video on LGBT+ blackmail shares one person's experience of blackmail as an LGBT+ person, and their experience of getting support from Galop.

This Wellbeing Support Services webpage for staff supporting students provides contact details for staff members wanting to discuss practical, emotional, or psychological concerns about a student, and/or to discuss potential referrals to their support services or other support resources (including the University's Sexual and Domestic Violence Adviser). More generally, Wellbeing Support Services' contact details are available on their homepage.

You can best support by:

• Reassuring them that they have nothing to be ashamed of, and that they are accepted and supported as an LGBTQUIA+ person.
• Reassuring them of confidentiality for information they share with you, and the confidentiality of support services available to them.
• Signposting them to appropriate support services (see sources of support here).
• Connecting them with LGBTQUIA+ peer support, especially if they do not have a strong peer support network in place.
• Exploring logistical considerations to ensure their immediate safety, such as emergency accommodation if they live with the person who is blackmailing them, or access to essentials and hardship funding if they have exhausted their financial resources.