Minority statuses and mental health outcomes among young gay, bisexual and queer men in Singapore

Tan, Rayner Kay Jin; Yang, Daryl W. J.; Le, Daniel; Tan, Avin; Tyler, Adrian; Tan, Calvin; Kwok, Chronos; Banerjee, Sumita; Wong, Mee Lian

doi:10.1080/19361653.2021.1940414

Cited by 6 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 55 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…It is premised on how stigmatized and marginalized identities do not operate independently of one another but are shaped about broader social inequalities [14]. Recent evidence further emphasizes that individuals who are situated at such intersections face greater intersectional forms of stigma, discrimination and injustices [38][39][40], and it is therefore especially important that the design and implementation of HIV health services address them effectively.…”

Section: Integrating Intersectionality Into Hiv Servicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Public health services and intersectional stigma: a social sciences perspective with implications for HIV service design and delivery

Tan

Tang

Tucker

2022

Current Opinion in HIV and AIDS

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Purpose of reviewUnderstanding stigma is important for improving HIV care services and gaps in HIV service delivery have been attributed to stigma. This review article synthesizes recent evidence on stigma and its implications for HIV service design and delivery. Given the intersectional nature of stigma, we will focus on HIV stigma as well as related forms of stigma based on one's race, sexual identity, gender identity and other identities.Recent findingsStigma remains a barrier to achieving equity in HIV services. Individualistic measures of stigma remain influential and are associated with barriers to accessing HIV health services. Recent work also highlights stigma measured at a structural level and its impact on HIV services contexts. Individuals situated at intersections of marginalized identities continue to face greatest injustices, and although intersectional approaches have been adapted to design services at a micro level, few focus on structural change. Recent evidence for mitigating stigma indicates some success for psychosocial interventions that target internalized stigma. Furthermore, community-led approaches show promise in addressing stigma that manifests in HIV health services settings.SummaryInterventions that address individual-level stigma and structural stigma are needed. Theoretical and applied antistigma research is needed to make HIV services more equitable.

show abstract

Section: Integrating Intersectionality Into Hiv Servicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Public health services and intersectional stigma: a social sciences perspective with implications for HIV service design and delivery

Tan

Tang

Tucker

2022

Current Opinion in HIV and AIDS

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The findings from our interviews with respect to healthcare stigma towards LGBTQI+ patients mirror those of other studies internationally: health inequalities for LGBTQI+ patients manifest due to an undercurrent of heterosexism and discrimination, across levels ranging from healthcare institutions to the wider community [ 43–46 ]. In addition, our interviews highlighted the role of intersectionality in constructing unique forms of layered discrimination for certain more vulnerable LGBTQI+ patients, as has been previously highlighted in Singapore among young queer men [ 18 ]. In particular, having a history of substance use, being young or old, and being an ethnic minority all emerged as key identities which compounded the effects of stigma on LGBTQI+ patients.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 61%

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LGBTQI+) healthcare in Singapore: perspectives of non-governmental organisations and clinical year medical students

O'Hara

Foon

et al. 2023

Medical Education Online

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Purpose International studies document that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LGBTQI+) patients face significant health disparities. Studies exploring the attitudes, knowledge, preparedness and comfort levels of healthcare students towards LGBTQI+ health have been conducted in the United States, United Kingdom and Malaysia. This study aims to investigate stigma in healthcare for LGBTQI+ patients in Singapore, and possible upstream factors within medical education. Methods This mixed-methods study adopts a convergent parallel design. The Health Stigma and Discrimination Framework was referenced to devise in-depth interviews with representatives from 13 LGBTQI-affirming non-governmental organisations, analysed through thematic analysis. 320 clinical medical students were surveyed about attitudes, knowledge, comfort, preparedness, and perceived importance of/towards LGBTQI+ health, analysed via descriptive statistics and multivariate regression. Results Prevailing stigma in Singaporean society against LGBTQI+ individuals is exacerbated in healthcare settings. Doctors were cited as unfamiliar or uncomfortable with LGBTQI+ health, possibly from lack of training. Among medical students surveyed, the median composite attitudes, comfort and preparedness index was 3.30 (Interquartile Range (IQR) = 0.50), 3.17 (IQR = 0.83), 2.50 (IQR = 1.00) respectively. Only 12.19% of students answered all 11 true-false questions about LGBTQI+ health correctly. Conclusion Medical students in Singapore have scored sub-optimally in their knowledge and preparedness towards LGBTQI+ health, while interpersonal and structural stigma in healthcare towards LGBTQI+ people in Singapore negatively affects health and wellbeing. These findings are an impetus to improve medical training in this area. High scores among medical students in attitudes, comfort and perceived importance of LGBTQI+ topics demonstrate that there is space for LGBTQI+ health in the local medical education curriculum. Curricular interventions can prioritise content knowledge, communication skills and sensitivity.

show abstract

“…These frameworks broadly characterise stressors as external and internal, or distal and proximal, with experiences of prejudice and discrimination being examples of the former and identity concealment/non-disclosure and internalised homophobia being examples of the latter. Numerous studies have linked experiences of discrimination, stigma, bullying, abuse and EDI 42,5 internalised homophobia with higher levels of psychological distress and morbidity in LGBTQ individuals (Alvarez-Galvez and Salvador-Carulla, 2013;Hatzenbuehler et al, 2009;Hatzenbuehler et al, 2010;Hatzenbuehler and Pachankis, 2016;Lea et al, 2014;Mays and Cochran, 2001;McConnell et al, 2018;Tan et al, 2021c). The minority stress frameworks also encompass stress-ameliorating factors such as social support, community engagement and sense of belonging, which are understood as critical mechanisms that help protect against poor mental health outcomes (Meyer, 2003).…”

Section: Literature Review Minority Stress and Mental Health Disparitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experiences of conflict, non-acceptance and discrimination are associated with poor mental well-being amongst LGBTQ-identified individuals in Singapore

Toh¹,

Koh²,

Ho³

et al. 2023

EDI

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

PurposeHealth disparities affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) populations have been reported in many countries. For Singapore, no large quantitative studies on mental health and well-being in the local LGBTQ community have been published. The authors conducted a community-based survey (National LGBT Census Singapore, 2013; NLCS2013) that covered a comprehensive set of demographic, social and health indicators. Here, the authors investigated mental health status and its correlates in 2,350 LGBTQ individuals within the NLCS2013 sample.Design/methodology/approachThe NLCS2013 was an anonymous online survey conducted amongst self-identified LGBTQ adults (aged ≥ 21 years) residing in Singapore. The survey included the World Health Organisation Well-being Index (WHO-5) as a measure of mental well-being, with low WHO 5 scores (<13/25) indicating poor mental well-being. The authors analysed relationships between low WHO-5 score and a range of respondent characteristics using multivariate logistic regression.FindingsStrikingly, 40.9% of 2,350 respondents analysed had low WHO-5 scores, indicating poor mental well-being. Parental non-acceptance, experience of conflict at home and bullying/discrimination in the workplace or educational environments were all significantly associated with poor mental well-being. Conversely, community participation appeared protective for mental well-being, as respondents who participated in LGBTQ community organisations or events were less likely to have poor mental well-being than non-participants.Originality/valueThe NLCS2013 represents one of the first broad-based efforts to comprehensively and quantitatively capture the sociodemographic and health profile, including mental health status, within Singapore’s resident LGBTQ population. These findings affirm the need to address the mental health needs of LGBTQ individuals in Singapore and to foster safe spaces and allyship.

show abstract

Minority statuses and mental health outcomes among young gay, bisexual and queer men in Singapore

Cited by 6 publications

References 55 publications

Public health services and intersectional stigma: a social sciences perspective with implications for HIV service design and delivery

Public health services and intersectional stigma: a social sciences perspective with implications for HIV service design and delivery

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LGBTQI+) healthcare in Singapore: perspectives of non-governmental organisations and clinical year medical students

Experiences of conflict, non-acceptance and discrimination are associated with poor mental well-being amongst LGBTQ-identified individuals in Singapore

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About