There are various studies that highlight the vulnerability of the LGBTI+ community when it comes to facing mental health issues. For example, the report The Situation of Mental Health in Spain, published in 2023 by Salud Mental España and the Mutua Madrileña Foundation, shows a disproportionate rate of suicidal ideation (32.1% vs. 14.5%) and self-harm (19.5% vs. 9%) within the LGBTI+ community compared to the general population. The research also notes that LGBTI+ individuals are more likely to seek psychological care. These findings align with the conclusions of the study Growing Up Healthy(mentally), conducted by Save the Children in 2021, which confirms that one of the factors increasing the risk of suicidal ideation in minors is discrimination and/or sexual acceptance.
For decades, scientific literature has also pointed to the high percentage of LGBTI+ students who have experienced bullying during their academic journeys. The European Commission itself, through the survey A Long Way to Go for LGBTI Equality published in 2020, highlights this reality at a European level, also noting the high percentages of online harassment. In both cases, the close connection between this reality and mental health issues is emphasized.
Despite this situation, various actions and policies are being implemented to reverse it and achieve social impact. For example, at the institutional level, the LGBTIQ Equality Strategy 2020-2025, promoted by the European Commission, urges European states to foster the exchange of effective actions to improve mental health and reduce instances of harassment. Similarly, research in the educational field points to various interventions that are effectively contributing to eradicating bullying and improving emotional well-being. Such is the case with experiences shaped by bystander intervention, Genders and Sexualities Alliances, and the Dialogic Model of Conflict Prevention and Resolution.
[Image by Dmytro from Pixabay]
Senior Lecturer in the Department of Pedagogy at the Universitat Rovira i Virgili.
Principal Investigator of the Social Impact and Education Research Group.