Development of expertise in mental health service provision for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities

Abstract

Data from this study suggest there are few opportunities for medical providers to access training and gain expertise in the provision of care to LGBT people. Additional research is needed to consider whether the lack of LGBT health content in medical and psychiatric training programme curricula indirectly contributes to the health disparities experienced by these populations.

Finding the Perfect Doctor: Identifying Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender–Competent Physicians

“…A Canadian study documented that opportunities for LGBT-related health training are inadequate for mental health professionals; it cited the lack of training as a significant challenge to meeting LBGT mental health needs. 18 A 1998 study of 92 US family medicine department predoctoral chairs found that most departments reported zero hours spent teaching about LGB-related issues. 19 A 2011 survey of 132 US medical schools' deans revealed that a median of 5 preclinical and clinical hours were dedicated to LGBT-related topics; many institutions reported having zero hours of training.…”

Lesbian womens’ access to healthcare, experiences with and expectations towards GPs in German primary care

“…Discrimination, homophobia, and lack of attention regarding gender neutral language have been observed [10, 11]. Recommendations for different medical contexts like primary care, mental health, oncology, and public health are available [4, 12–16]. However, there is still a lack of training resources [16], and the special needs of LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) patients are neglected worldwide.…”

“…Recommendations for different medical contexts like primary care, mental health, oncology, and public health are available [4, 12–16]. However, there is still a lack of training resources [16], and the special needs of LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) patients are neglected worldwide. On the one hand, GPs and medical students in Ireland do not feel prepared to deal with sexual health issues in lesbian, gay and bisexual patients because they do not possess the required communication skills to competently interact with non-heterosexual patients, as shown in a qualitative study by Stott et al [17].…”

A Call to Action: the Need for Integration of Transgender Topics in Psychiatry Education

“…To ensure that graduates of residency training programs in psychiatry have had exposure to key issues and considerations for providing quality care to this population, recommendations by Rutherford and colleagues suggest incorporating a mandatory LGBTQ component in the education curriculum [18]. The design of an educational curriculum also needs to be assessed for effectiveness and redesigned as needed.…”

“…Content examples include a lecture on health disparities among the transgender population, lecture and small group discussions on terminology and interview skills, case presentations, standardized patients who identify as LGBTQ, panel presentations with patients who self-identify with this population, and clinical rotations or electives with a focus in this area [18]. Vance and colleagues administered a transgender youth curriculum to fourth-year medical students, pediatric interns, psychiatry interns, and nurse practitioner students on their 1-month adolescent and young adult medicine rotations [19].…”