British psychiatry and homosexuality

King, Michael; Bartlett, Annie

doi:10.1192/bjp.175.2.106

Cited by 78 publications

(58 citation statements)

References 61 publications

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“…The most commonly expressed beliefs were those of unnaturalness, danger to the institution of the family, a negative influence on children and parental inability, and a relation to AIDS. Only a minority of medical students supported the view that homosexuality constitutes an illness or perversion; this evidence is encouraging, because historically the view of homosexuality as a disease resulted in substantially harmful "treatments" ranging from aversion therapies and electric shocks to testicular transplantation [20]. However, more than half of the medical students did not know whether homosexuality is officially classified as a disease.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Austrian medical students’ attitudes towards male and female homosexuality: A comparative survey

Arnold

Voracek

Musalek

et al. 2004

Wien Klin Wochenschr

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Austrian medical students’ attitudes towards male and female homosexuality: A comparative survey

Arnold

Voracek

Musalek

et al. 2004

Wien Klin Wochenschr

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“…6 Though sexual behaviour in private between adult men was decriminalised in Britain in 1967, treatments to change homosexuals into heterosexuals peaked in the 1960s and early 1970s. 7 However, we have little knowledge of the patients who experienced, or the professionals who administered, such treatments. We conducted an oral history study of treatments to change same sex attraction in Britain from 1950 to understand why people received treatment, how they experienced it, and how it affected their lives.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Treatments of homosexuality in Britain since the 1950s--an oral history: the experience of patients

Smith

Bartlett²,

King

2004

BMJ

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Objectives To investigate the circumstances since the 1950s in which people who were attracted to members of the same sex received treatments to change their sexual orientation, the referral pathway and the process of therapy, and its aftermath. Design A nationwide study based on qualitative interviews. Participants 29 people who had received treatments to change their sexual orientation in the United Kingdom and two relatives of former patients. Results Most participants had been distressed by their attraction to their own sex and people in whom they confided thought they needed treatment. Although some participants chose to undergo treatments instead of imprisonment or were encouraged through some form of medical coercion, most were responding to complex personal and social pressures that discouraged any expression of their sexuality. While many participants found happiness in same sex relationships after their treatment, most were left feeling emotionally distressed to some degree. Conclusion The definition of same sex attraction as an illness and the development of treatments to eradicate such attraction have had a negative long term impact on individuals.

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“…We had previously identified professionals who had published research in this specialty 1 and asked each to name other professionals who had administered treatments or were knowledgeable about them. We also used professional contacts, advertisements, articles, and programmes in the national media and names given by participants in the accompanying paper (Online First, bmj.com).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[1][2][3] In our companion paper (Online First on bmj.com) we describe the experiences of patients who underwent treatments to change their sexual orientation in Britain from the 1950s onwards. Here we examine the motivations and experiences of professionals who developed and practised these treatments and place them in the context of their professional and personal lives and the historical period in which they worked.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Treatments of homosexuality in Britain since the 1950s--an oral history: the experience of professionals

King¹

2004

BMJ

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Objective To investigate the experiences of professionals who administered and evaluated treatments for homosexuality in Britain since the 1950s. Design A nationwide study based on qualitative interviews. Participants 30 health professionals who developed and practised treatments for homosexuality. Results A range of treatments were developed to make homosexuals into heterosexuals, the most common of which were behavioural interventions. Treatments were based on little evidence of effectiveness and were open to the criticism that legal or social pressures coerced patients. Treatments did not become mainstream within British mental health services. With hindsight, professionals realised that they had not appreciated the influence of social context on sexual behaviour. Most now regarded same sex attraction as compatible with psychological health, although a small minority considered that the option to try to become heterosexual should still be available to patients who desire it. Conclusions Social and political assumptions sometimes lie at the heart of what we regard as mental pathology and serve as a warning for future practice.

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British psychiatry and homosexuality

Abstract: Mental health professionals in Britain should be aware of the mistakes of the past. Only in that way can we prevent future excesses and heal the gulf between gay and lesbian patients and their psychiatrists.

Cited by 78 publications

References 61 publications

Austrian medical students’ attitudes towards male and female homosexuality: A comparative survey

Austrian medical students’ attitudes towards male and female homosexuality: A comparative survey

Treatments of homosexuality in Britain since the 1950s--an oral history: the experience of patients

Treatments of homosexuality in Britain since the 1950s--an oral history: the experience of professionals

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